Still the one
by the-mpreg-spirit
Summary: Slash. Implied Mpreg. SiriusHarry. Through a late night conversation, Harry convinces his husband how much he still loves him, no matter how... corpulent, he gets...
1. Chapter 1

A little something written for Porkish Pixies. A bit of fluff. If you like it, review and I'll post the sequel once I'm finished with it...

* * *

Harry watched the yellow flame start to dance on the wick and he shook the match to extinguish it, dropping it and turning away. As he moved around the room lighting the rest of the candles, he swayed with the music, mouthing the words, aware of how his husband's eyes were following him. He looked over his shoulder and smirked at him.

"Anything you like?" Sirius held up his hands in defeat.

"Don't let me stop you, I'm just enjoying the view." Harry grinned and turned towards the bed, his sway turning into a seductive dance. He reached Sirius and dodged the arms trying to wrap around him, instead putting a hand on the older man's chest and pushing him onto to his back. He climbed onto him and kissed him deeply, straddling his hips and rubbing his groin against his husband's.

Sirius let off a moan and Harry's hand started undoing his robes. His fingers curled up and moved from his firm strong chest down to the soft roundness of Sirius's flabby stomach, slowly rubbing circles on it. Sirius broke the kiss as he stopped Harry's hand, clutching it in his own. Harry looked at him curiously.

"Don't do that, baby, please." Harry smiled at him and shook his head before resting it on Sirius's chest. "You know I feel bad enough being like this as it is." He blushed and avoided Harry's gaze.

"I don't mind, I think it's sexy." Harry admitted, detangling his hand from Sirius's and rubbing the flesh again. Sirius glared at him, his embarrassment seemed to be forgotten.

"So you're telling me it never bothered you." Harry thought for a moment.

"It did at first when you started gaining…But…"

"But what?"

"But then I thought about it. And when I married you, I agreed to stick by you, through thick and thin, richer or poorer, slim or… corpulent." He said, choosing the last word carefully. He sat up, leaning on his elbows. "And I realized that it was still the man I love, no matter how he looks." He put his hands on Sirius's face, taking his plump cheeks in his hands and planting a single kiss on his lips.

They stared at each other for a few short moments before moving back to the way they were, Harry once again resting his head on Sirius's chest and rubbing his hand across his husband's middle, though this time Sirius didn't push it away.

"Besides, I'm also going to be changing soon."

"Really?"

"Yeah, shapewise at least."

"You're not planning on…" Sirius gestured to his large belly. "On purpose. By yourself."

"Well, I didn't exactly do it myself, you helped a lot."

"I did?"

"Actually, it was all you." Sirius looked at his strangely.

"Harry. What are you talking about?"

"Let me put it this way. Have you ever thought about kids?"

The mpreg spirit  
02:15 am  
1 December 2005

* * *

Review


	2. Chapter 2

This was supposed to come tommorow or the next day, but since my sister turns eighteen tommorow and I don't feel like waiting, here it is.

* * *

Through the awkward silence between the friends, Sirius was aware of the looks his old school mate was giving him, and it wasn't in the pleasant way he ogled his husband every so often. Over the past few years their relationship had become considerably cooler and now had gotten to the point where it had become as strained as the carrots covering baby Charles' face. He knew James was just waiting for the opportunity to ridicule him about his weight like always.

"Not making an effort then?" James said quietly and Sirius looked up.

"What?"

"Your weight. You're not making much of an effort with it."

Bingo! Right on the sensitive bit. Like an elbow to the stomach. The fat fleshy one.

"I mean come on. You and I both know it. You've turned into a right porker."

Scratch that. More like a kick to the groin. With high heeled shoes.

Sirius was saved the embarrassment of replying when his husband came through from the Potter's kitchen, one of his younger siblings on his hip. God knows which one. God knows how many they even had by now.

"Dinner's ready." He looked directly at his father. "Mum says wash your hands before you come near the food." James laughed and stood up, hurrying to the bathroom with Baby Charles. Sirius stood up and sighed.

"Don't worry about anything he said." Harry said quietly to him.

"How do you know he said anything?"

"Because he always does. He can't keep his mouth shut." Harry planted a kiss on his cheek, hoisted his sister up and proceeded up the stairs obviously to put her to bed, Sirius watching his arse from an excellent view. Sirius went into the kitchen once his husband had disappeared from view and saw his mother-in-law bustling around the kitchen. It amazed him, after giving birth, most recently three months ago at the most, somewhere around six times; she managed to still have the figure she had when she was sixteen.

She looked at him, surveying him top to bottom and then over again, her eyes swirling with a mix of disappointment and excitement.

"Ah Sirius! Sit down! I have something that might interest you." He was pushed into a chair and a piece of parchment shoved under his nose.

"What is it?"

"It's called Lepals. It's brilliant. I lost three pounds like that." She snapped her fingers.

Good grief! Did this family never stop? If one wasn't mocking you, the other tried to make you starve yourself!

"I appreciate it Lily, but I don't think that I should." He put it down and she looked at him accusingly.

"What? You don't trust me to try and help you?" She said angrily. "You don't believe that I care about my son-in-law?"

"Give it up mother. You're not putting Sirius on another of your fad diets." Harry said, once again saving Sirius. An image of Harry dressed in a muggle superhero flashed across Sirius's mind. He quickly shook it off.

"I don't see why not." She said as everybody sat down. "You could try it together. You look like you're also a bit chunkier." Harry stopped for a second, the knife he was cleaning in his napkin gripped tightly in his hand.

He then carried on like nothing had happened, but Sirius saw the added vigour he rubbed with. He slammed it on the table and Sirius just moved his hand out the way in time to stop it getting impaled.

Spotting the hand held protectively to his husband's chest, Harry realized what he had done and his anger faded. He took Sirius's hand, looking at the cut on the top and apologizing profusely. Sirius just smiled at him and clutched his hand in his own.

James watched this half-heartedly.

"So? When can we expect grandchildren?" He asked while looking at his wine glass, swirling it around.

"What?" Sirius asked, taken aback.

"Grandchildren. Or aren't you two ever planning kids? You've been married what? Six years?"

"Four."

"Right."

"You know," Lily said as she sat in her own place. "I read an article the other day that said your weight can affect your sex life." Harry dropped his fork at this sentence and dived under the table to get it.

"So basically, we can't expect any offspring from them anytime soon." Both of them laughed and Harry scrambled up, banging his head on the table, only causing his parents to laugh even harder.

Once he managed to stand and straighten himself up, he picked up his 'emergency bag' (he refused to call it a purse or handbag, which amused Sirius to no end) and started towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Sirius asked him.

"You may want to stay here and be insulted, but I won't put up with it. Not anymore." He turned and walked out. Sirius looked for James, but he didn't even make an effort to stop him, merely raised an eyebrow. Sirius shot him a glare, stood up himself and followed Harry.

"Hey." Sirius said and Harry looked up. He hadn't said a word since they'd gotten back; instead he'd gotten changed and sat on the window ledge in their bedroom staring straight ahead of him. "Budge up."

He settled himself behind Harry, who still didn't say anything. He sighed.

"Look Harry, I know you're upset about your parents and all that…But you're going to have to say something sometime."

"I don't want to do this anymore."

"What? But I thought you liked snuggling." He nuzzled Harry's neck, making him wriggle.

"I hate it when they won't leave you alone about your weight and complain about our marriage and then assume we have no sex life."

"Me neither. Just because we don't breed like rabbits, we suddenly have problems?"

"And your weight cause problems? You perform just fine to me. Better if anything."

"Can you imagine what they're going to say when they find out they're getting a grandchild already, even after all they said."

"I thought they'd noticed something already."

"Well then I've missed it. You chunky? Yeah, and I'm Mr muscles." Harry laughed but after a moment went silent and curled up again, hugging his knees.

I don't want our baby being exposed to that."

"Me?"

"Don't be stupid. I mean them! I don't want our baby around people who will no doubt take the mickey out of it at every turn."

"Then we won't anymore. The next time we get a letter inviting us to one of their stupid dinners, we'll ignore it and hopefully, they'll take a hint and leave us alone."

"And if they don't and they come here."

"Don't you stress. I'll deal with them then, if that happens..."

* * *

I'm astounded by the number of hits this has gotten. Thank you! It would be better if more people would review though... But I'm not complaining! **bow**


	3. Chapter 3

Sirius's eyes snapped open as he was woken from a wonderful dream involving his husband, chocolate cake and the kitchen floor. Careful not to wake Harry, he sat up with a sudden hunger for chocolate cake. He was only a few steps from the bed when he heard a sleepy voice behind him.

"Where are you going?" A muffled voice said and he silently cursed, turning back to the bed. Harry hadn't even moved and was still lying face down on the bed.

"I'm just going to the bathroom. Go back to sleep Harry." Harry still didn't look up but raised a hand.

"Bullshit!" He said loudly into the pillow. "You were going downstairs."

"How did you know?" Harry finally turned over to look at him.

"For one, the bathroom's this way." He pointed behind him. "And you usually climb over me to get to it."

"Dammit!"

"I'm going to ask you again. Where were you going?" Sirius sighed in defeat.

"I was going downstairs."

"I know that much already. But where downstairs?"

"To the kitchen. I felt like some of that cake you made yesterday." Harry looked at him, not angrily, in fact, he seemed almost guilty.

"Come here." He said and Sirius climbed back into bed. Harry got up before crawling over and sitting on top of him. He ran his lips over the sensitive part of Sirius's neck, making him shiver.

He moved back so he was sitting on Sirius's knees. Sirius tried to sit up to see what he was going to do, but Harry shook his head and made him lie back down before continuing.

"No, it's my fault for making it, now I'm going make you forget about it…"

* * *

When Sirius woke the next morning, he found his underwear and pants around his ankles, his shirt thrown on the floor and his arms empty.

He blinked, struggling to remember the events of the previous night. The erotic image of his husband dragging his tongue across his chest came to mind and another part of his body woke up.

He grinned and pulled his clothes on, getting up and venturing downstairs. He found Harry in the kitchen reaching up into one of the higher cupboards, his long lean body stretching itself out gracefully. That was one of the reasons why his nickname had been given to him by Sirius. With Harry, his fluid movements and grace were one of the first reasons Sirius had even noticed him… No, he hadn't known him through James, as most people would think. You see, they had had a falling out in seventh year and not spoken for another nineteen years...

* * *

Very short due to me having to cut out the lemon scene. It's on my LJ people! click my homepage on my profile and scroll down a little bit. Thank you all!

Though just a warning... I'm waiting for at least twenty five reviews before I update. Childish yes... but the hits and reviews numbers are too too different at the moment and if this is what it takes for more reivews... so be it.

Review please.


	4. Chapter 4

_Flashback_

_Sirius looked round the studio, unsure if he wanted to do this. Reminding himself that it was the only way to contact Moony, the reason he was here, he stayed, watching for a few moments. _

_It seemed not only girls did dance these days. Just as many boys of all ages were dressed in leotards and tights and were standing around chatting. The teacher called out to them and they all stood against the wall. All of them were nice, he thought to himself as he watched, but one caught his eyes. A pretty auburn about nineteen stood almost directly across from him. On closer inspection, he discovered this was either a boy or a completely flat-chested girl. He moved with such elegance, such poise… just looking at him brought to mind the image of a swan._

_He didn't seem to notice the staring and Sirius sighed. At least this might give him a reason forbeing here. He walked across the floor to go to the offices and didn't notice until someone slammed into him. It didn't even push him back, but knocked the poor person he'd hit sprawling to the floor._

_He looked down at them and saw, with perfect bun ruined and red hair hanging in his face, the very boy he'd been looking at. He tried to stand and screamed in pain. Sirius just winced and blocked his ears._

_Half an hour later, he watched the boy stand up, finally able to walk with his ankle bandaged up. He limped towards the front doors and Sirius nearly missed his chance. He grabbed his arm right before he apparated away._

"_Can I help you?"_

"_Yeah, listen, I'm sorry about your foot."_

"_It's ok. My mum's a healer, she'll fix it up when I get home."_

"_Oh, well, I suppose that's good. Can I at least buy you coffee to make up for it?"_

* * *

"_My mum decided when I was about three that since she didn't have a daughter, she'd treat me like I was one. Nearly gave my dad a stroke when she told him she'd signed me up for ballet. I've done it ever since…"_

"_Well, I was watching, you're really good at it."_

"_Thank you. So, what about you? Are you from around here?"_

"_Used to be, I got a job in Bulgaria after I finished school, stupid decision, but I'd had a major fight with someone, the friend I was staying with after I ran away, and since I had enough pride not to go back there, I took the first job I could find… First time I've been back here in almost twenty years."_

"_Are you going to stay?"_

"_Maybe, I mean, my brother's in Bulgaria with his wife and my nephew, but personally, I prefer English woman. Or men." He added, "We'll have to see if Britain has anything worth offering."_

"_Well, I think you're looking in the wrong places then." He took a sip of his coffee, looking into Sirius's eyes. Sirius noticed then that they were a pretty dark green. "I don't think I'll be ready to settle down anytime soon…"_

_Flashback end_

They had been married within six months. Sirius had been surprised, to put it mildly, when he'd discovered who Harry's parents were, and James had been just as surprised to meet his son's boyfriend and discover it was his ex-best friend.

He'd taken neither the news of their relationship and (three months later) engagement well and until the day before, refused to even attend the wedding. Harry had moved back with Sirius to Bulgaria, one of the reasons he saw his in-laws once every couple of months. Harry had agreed to stay home instead of working and had soon discovered his talent for cooking and because of the cold weather, didn't venture outside much. He'd instead spend his days baking delicious treats and cakes.

This was one of the main reasons why Sirius had picked up so much weight. But he didn't blame Harry in the slightest. It wasn't like he forced them down his throat.

He wrapped his arms round him from behind, rubbing his face the soft red hair that was tied up loosely. Harry laughed and turned his head to the side.

"Good morning, Swan." He said affectionately in his ear. "I would have liked a wakeup call like the goodnight kiss last night."

"Goodnight kiss? It was to distract you from the cake, remember? And it worked."

"Oh, do we have any of that cake left?"

"Yeah, right there." Harry looked pointedly at the dustbin, as if it was the dustbin's fault Sirius wanted the cake.

"You're joking?" Sirius let go of Harry and went to look in the dustbin. "What? Why? How'd it get there?"

"I put it there."

"But how are we supposed to eat it now?"

"That's the point, Sirius. You can't eat it if it's not there." Sirius glared at him. "You said you wanted to start a diet from Monday."

"I said next Monday!"

"That was a week ago. I'm not going to be like my mother and have you starve yourself. It's just a matter of cutting back on the sweets. So, I figure, if I don't make them, they're not here. And if they're not here, you won't be able to eat them." He said, rambling at the end.

"And what do you plan to do if you're not going to bake?" Harry shrugged.

"I thought I might go out today and find somewhere around here where they teach ballet and…" Sirius cut off that idea.

"No. What if when you're doing your jumps and twirls you fall and hurt the baby? Or what about in a few months? Can you imagine leaping across the room when you're a week away from delivering?" Both stared at each other for a moment before laughing at the image. Sirius sat down at the table and was served a bowl of cereal instead of toast or eggs like normal.

He nearly choked when he ate it, only told then by his husband, who seemed to be dying of laughter, that it was skim milk and whole-bran. He continued grumbling the entire time about 'the stupid diet' and Harry sighed. This wasn't going to work if he was complaining already.

"I'll make a deal with you." He said and Sirius pushed the bowl away, listening closely. "Stick to your diet through the week and on Friday, I'll make you whatever you want."

"Really?"

"Really." Sirius held out his hand. "It's a deal then." They sealed the deal with a long kiss.

"Chocolate brownies?" Sirius said softly and Harry nodded.

"Of course. If you don't break your end of the deal."

* * *

Friday couldn't come soon enough and though it was hard, Sirius didn't eat any extra sugar or fried food the entire week. He came home on Friday evening and as promised, the smell of chocolate was drifting through the house. As soon as the door closed, Harry came running through from the kitchen, wrapping his arms around him and kissing him passionately.

"Wow!" Sirius grinned once they broke apart. "What was that for?"

"To check if you really did it or if I should dump the brownies." He grinned back at Sirius. "Close your eyes." Without waiting for a response, he grabbed his hand.

"What am I supposed to be looking at?" Harry glared at him and covered his eyes.

"Don't look, you can't see it yet. Just feel." He rubbed it over just one area. "Do you feel it?" Sirius felt something, just the tiniest curve. He opened his eyes and saw that his hand was in the front of Harry's robes, right in the middle of his stomach.

"Just starting to make itself known." Harry said softly as Sirius continued to feel that spot in total awe. "Our baby…"

* * *

Dinner and brownies lay forgotten in the kitchen as the couple lay in their bed, both of them naked and Harry spooned in Sirius's arms. 

"For a boy? Christian Black has a ring to it, don't you think?"

"Christian's nice, but I was thinking, for a boy," He rolled over so he could look at Sirius, "of naming him after you. I like the idea of Sirius junior."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, but if you don't like it, I suppose we could always just go with Christian."

"No, I like it. We can use Christian as a middle name or something… But if it's a girl?"

* * *

A nice long chapter that I'm hoping is appreciated. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and I shall hope to hear from you next year... 


	5. Chapter 5

"You little hypocrite!"

"What?" Harry looked up from the book he was reading in the dim kitchen light.

"You go on about me following the diet and I come down here and you're not even following it yourself." He gestured towards the brownie and glass of milk in front of Harry.

"If you're following this diet so faithfully, why'd you come to the kitchen in the middle of the night?" Sirius's face turned pink.

"I've stuck to it. I deserve to have something if I want."

"I've spent all of today making them, I deserve one if I feel like it." Sirius gritted his teeth.

"God, I knew you were lying." Sirius said angrily.

"About what?"

"That's why you want me on this diet, you can't stand me like this. You're like your mother, you just want a person to starve themselves until they're completely perfect!" Harry stood up and stalked past him. "What? You admit it then."

Harry stopped walking, but didn't look at him.

"If you don't want to go on it, don't. I told you I don't care what your weight is." He said softly. "I'm not doing it for me. It's for your own good you lose it." Harry turned around, his hands curled into loose fists and tears in his eyes.

"You know how much strain the extra weight is on your heart? What if it just stops? I love you and I don't want to lose you. You can call me selfish or stupid or whatever for that if you want, but I'm not like my mother. I'M NOT!" With the last two words shouted, He broke down crying and Sirius wrapped his arms around him tightly while he sobbed, thinking carefully about what he had said.

"You're not going to lose me."

"How do you know that for sure? Please just try to lose it, if not for me or yourself, for our baby. I don't it raised without its father here." Those words hit Sirius hard.

"It won't happen." He whispered and took Harry's face in his hands, lifting it up to look in his face. "I promise." Harry's legs gave way under him and Sirius supported him as he lowered himself onto the floor, holding his head so their foreheads were touching, tears now running down Sirius's own cheeks.

"You can't promise something you have no control over." Harry whispered back.

"But I can promise I'll lose it, whether it takes me three months or a year, and then I can promise that I will be here for our baby..."

* * *

He felt Harry moving in his arms and Sirius opened his eyes, his neck stiff, his muscles aching and his one side frozen, but he was still reluctant to get up. Harry smiled at him as he saw he was awake, giving him a good morning kiss him on the lips.

"Good morning." Sirius whispered to him and as Harry wriggled out of his arms, he turned onto his back before trying to get up and feeling his neck click. "Remind me next time that we should pick somewhere more comfortable than the floor. Like our bed, for example."

"I don't care if it's on the floor. Next time, let's remember that while melted chocolate makes a good lube." He tried to stand and winced, hanging onto the table edge. "It's not so nice when it hardens." Sirius could almost feel his pain.

"I'm getting in the shower first."

"What makes you so special?" Harry shot Sirius a glare and as Sirius stood, he saw why Harry wanted it first. His neck still had the finger marks of chocolate dragged along it while his body was covered in brownie, hardened chocolate, and had milk running off it to the floor. "Fine, go first. Just hurry up." Harry grinned at him stood up on his toes to kiss Sirius's cheek.

"I've got to get the chocolate out of my arse, I'm hardly going to hurry." With that, he hurried out the kitchen, not even bothering to put the dressing gown, and up the stairs completely naked. Sirius sighed and went to the cupboard to get his breakfast.

* * *

More reviews mean sooner updates. People don't seem to get that with me. Thank you to all who did bother to review **grin **

This chapter is longer and better with the lemon. It's on my Lj. Link on Profile.

REVIEW


	6. Chapter 6

The argument they had had that night went unspoken of and though the things said, accusations and worrying issues, were forgotten, Sirius kept to the new diet Harry had set for him. He often grumbled that it didn't seem to be helping, but that changed after a one month when he was getting dressed on a cold Saturday morning.

He shivered and took off his pyjamas, pulling on a pair of trousers. As he buttoned them up, he felt a slight looseness; enough just to get his fingers in them, and a rush of excitement went through him.

"Hey Harry, come here." He said excitedly and Harry, who was putting on his own robes, gave him a curious look but came over with a smile anyway. "Am I just imagining it, or are these, roomier?"

Harry looked closely at them, feeling the waistband and the amount of space before grinning at his husband.

"You know, I think they are. It's working." He said as he stood up, Sirius wrapping his arms round his waist and pulling him against him. "Maybe we can swap clothes."

"I'm glad you have confidence in me, but I'm quite sure I won't fit into your robes."

"Well, they don't fit you, they don't fit me! Why don't we just throw them out?" Harry said as he rubbed his cheek against Sirius's neck.

"They're going to fit in a few months after our baby's born and you shrink back to your tiny self. If they continued to fit now there would be something wrong with the baby. It needs the room to grow." Sirius said and Harry leant back as Sirius rested his hand on his stomach. In the past month, the small almost invisible curve had become bigger and was now a very noticeable bump, the amount of growth shocking both of the soon-to-be parents.

He rubbed it gently and Harry laughed. Sirius then pulled him into a strong hug, rubbing his nose in his hair and letting out almost a growl.

"I love you so much for going through all of this just to give us a baby."

"It's really not that bad, maybe you can have the next one."

"Next one?"

* * *

There was a loud bang and Sirius, who'd been lounging on the chair on the porch for the past half hour, stood up. He rubbed his numb backside and stretched as the woozy person attempt to stand and fell back down again. It took him a few more seconds before tried again, still wobbling dangerously.

"Moony!" Sirius called out and Moony seemed to sober up from the effects of the portkey. Remus's eyes travelled over him, as if checking if it was really his friend. After a few seconds of silence, Remus opened his arms widely.

"Padfoot!" They embraced for a long moment. "It's been so long!"

"Too, too long, old friend."

"It's freezing out here, aren't you going to invite me in?" Sirius's eyes shone.

"Very well, if you must, come inside old man."

"Old man! You're older than I am!" Remus said as he walked through the front door, looking around. "Nice decorating."

"You can thank Harry for that." Sirius said as they sat down in the living room in front of the fire. Sirius noticed Remus's face lit up.

"How is he doing? I haven't seen either of you since the wedding."

"He's doing great. Settled in well down here. Likes playing the housewife." He grinned. "And speaking of the most beautiful angel…"

Harry came in carrying a tea tray and a plate of biscuits and put it on the table, pausing only to greet Remus and kiss Sirius's cheek before leaving, but as he bent over the tray, Remus's eyes widened. He made sure Harry was out the room and far out of hearing range before speaking.

"I didn't want to say anything because I'm not sure. Is he..." Remus made a wide round motion with his hand before folding his arms to look like he was holding a baby. Sirius seemed very amused by this.

"Yup, with our first." Remus saw a look he'd never seen on Sirius's face before. He was beaming and practically radiating happiness, a strange look of pride and parental joy on his face. Harry came back into the room and Remus hugged him tightly.

"When is due?" Remus asked still squeezing him.

"In five and a half months if you don't squash it." Sirius replied drylyand Remus sheepishly let Harry go, mumbling an apology. Harry shook his head, showing that it didn't matter, picked up the laundry basket against the wall and walked out again. Remus sat down and watched Sirius curiously for a few moments.

"So, you're enjoying, married life, by the look of things." He hadn't said it, but Sirius knew exactly what he meant.

"I'm losing it."

"What?"

"I said I'm losing it. Yes, I know I've put on a lot of weight. No need to rub it in. I get that enough already."

"There's nothing wrong with it Sirius." Remus said and Sirius glared at him. "I mean it. We're getting older, and nobody ever said you had to stay looking like an underfed war orphan like when I last saw you. It's good to see Harry's taking care of you." He gave Sirius a genuine smile.

"Thanks Moony."

"Who rubs it in? Do I need to have a talk with Harry?" Sirius shook his head frantically.

"No, Harry's been great about it. It's just, we've been keeping in contact with Lily and James, they are his parents, and well…"

"James being a bastard about it?" Sirius nodded. "Well, he was bound to find someway to get back at you."

"Get back at me?" Sirius gave a sharp laugh. "What for?"

_Flashback_

_After the train had stopped, the four friends sat in silence for a long time. Eventually one stood up._

"_Come on, we'd better go." Remus said and Peter followed. Sirius gave James a look and seeing the hard expression on his face, went after his friends. James noticed that as stood up, his wand fell out his pocket but didn't say anything and only picked it up when he'd gone._

"_I'm going to miss you, Padfoot, you sure I can't change your mind?" Remus said as he and Sirius hugged. Sirius looked like he was in-between decisions._

"_Maybe I could just t-"_

"_You forgot something." James said coldly and there was a loud snap. Everybody was silent as he walked to Sirius, holding his wand pieces out to him._

"_James! Is a pointless fight worth doing this? I mean come on, who cares whether you should give up on Evans or not?" Both seemed to ignore him and glared at each other._

"_It's alright. Since you seem to like it so much, keep my wand, I'll buy another one in Bulgaria."_

"_I thought you were going to stay?" _

"_I was, Wormtail, but now, it just doesn't seem worth it." Sirius spun around on his heel, dragging his trunk behind him and walking off the train, disapperating before two of the three remaining marauders could run out to stop him. _

_End flashback_

"Well, you two didn't speak for however many years…

Flashback 

"_And here I was thinking you'd never get married. Cheers!" James said holding up his glass and hitting it gently against the other two. They drank together._

"_Well, nothing's changed much here..." A voice said and Remus spat the champagne back into his glass, turning around suddenly._

"_You're here? I thought you hadn't come."_

"_Don't be silly, Remus, of course I came. Wouldn't miss it for the world." The person laughed. _

"_Come here." Remus took the person's arm and pulled them towards the other two. "Pour another glass James. We need to toast to Padfoot." Both James and Peter stared._

"_Sirius?" Peter asked as James fumbled with the champagne. "Where the hell have you been?" He asked in amazement. _

"_Bulgaria." James handed him the glass, a lot of champagne dripping off the sides where it had spilt. "Thanks." He said sarcastically, wiping his hand off on his robe. James glared at him. Sirius raised an eyebrow and took something out his pocket. He held out the long wand to James._

"_Do you want to snap this one too? Cause I swear, this time I'll break your head open." He growled. Remus sighed and looked from James to Sirius. He didn't think Sirius was lying about breaking James's head open. He had always been tall, but now he seemed to tower over James. His skin was pale and although his body was muscled, he had that undernourished look about him. _

"_Can't you two just put this behind you. It's Moony's wedding day, for Merlin's sake." Peter said angrily and Sirius put his wand away._

"_Sorry Moony." James mumbled and although the conversation between him and Sirius seemed to have a forced politeness, both loosened up after a while as they went through the bottle of alcohol._

"_So, what have you been doing?" James asked him._

"_I've been in the streets feeding orphans and giving them loving homes." All three stared at him before he threw back his head and laughed loudly._

"_Surely you know me better than that? I've got a flat and cushy job in the Bulgarian ministry."_

"_Not married then?" James asked chuckling._

"_No, not yet. Still looking." He took a drink from his glass. "Though I met the most amazing guy a couple of weeks ago. Would have brought him, but he couldn't come." _

"_That's great Padfoot. What's his name?" Sirius shrugged._

"_Don't know yet."_

"_You don't know his name, yet you're dating him?"_

"_Says I owe him three dates and then he'll tell me. Right now he's just Swan." At Remus's amused look, Sirius shrugged again. "Don't even ask." He grinned and stared off dreamily._

"_Yeah, be grateful you still have that kind of life." James grumbled. "No reckless indecisive gold-digger child..." _

"_Again? What did he do now?" Remus asked, looking strangely at Sirius._

"_He tells me from when he's fifteen that he knows what he wants to do and asks me to trust him. Now, he's finished school and he wants to carry on with the stupid dancing, no idea of what real career he wants!" James said angrily and Peter put a fist in front of his mouth, closed his eyes and laughed. "Easy for you to laugh! It's not your money he's wasting."_

"_Harry's not that bad."_

"_You're kidding? He's worse than his mother."_

"_You know, it's rude to gossip. And just for that, I'm going to live off of you for another nineteen years." Harry said, coming up next to his father._

_Remus shook Sirius and the presence of someone else seemed to wake him up. He looked to Harry, who was arguing with James, and smirked._

_"Well, at least you weren't lying when you said you couldn't come." Harry stopped talking and all eyes settled on Sirius before Harry launched himself into Sirius's arms, laughing as his boyfriend spun him around. _

_"Fate works in strange ways..." Harry replied before kissing him_ _passionately. Three pairs of eyes widened to the size of saucers._

"_What do you think you're doing?" James asked him angrily as Sirius set him back down on the floor._

"_You remember I told you about the guy who nearly broke my ankle in class?" He said as Sirius stood with his hands still on the tiny waist. "This is him." And as Harry wrapped his arms around his neck againand hugged himtightly, Sirius saw the murderous glare James was giving him._

_Flashback end_

…And then you were dating his son."

"So he's probably never going to forgive me?"

"Pretty much." Remus saw the saddened look on Sirius's face. "Hey, cheer up. Are you excited about becoming a daddy?" Sirius nodded and grinned at him.

"Of course. Can't wait."

"Well, both of you should enjoy the time you have alone now."

"What do you mean?"

"When the baby comes along, you don't have the time all for just each other. You have to share and that can damage your relationship."

"What are you saying?" Sirius growled angrily.

"Nothing. Just forget I said anything."

After Remus left, making him promise to write when the baby was born, Sirius disappeared upstairs, leaving Harry to finish the housework.

Once all of it was done, Harry went searching for his husband, instead finding a big black dog lying curled up on their bed. He lay down and the dog didn't look at him, instead huffing and closing his eyes.

Harry reached out a hand and scratched the dog on its chubby stomach, making its leg jump. After a moment, Harry stopped and its leg stopped twitching madly. It whined and Harry laughed. It transformed back into his husband.

"Why'd you stop?" Sirius asked leaning up on his elbow.

"Because I knew you'd change back if I did. Now why are you sulking?"

"Who says I'm sulking? Maybe I'm just, thinking."

"Fine, what are you thinking of?" Sirius was silent for a moment. "You can tell me."

"We're not going to end up ignoring each other, are we?"

"When? Why?"

"When the baby's born. Are we going to be too busy with it for each other?"

"Did Remus tell you that?" Sirius went quiet again. "I see."

"Is that a yes?"

"I wouldn't know. I've never had a child before. But things will change, we both know that, and we'll just have to make time."

"And if we can't?"

"That's what babysitters are for." Sirius gave him a sad smile. "You're not regretting havingthe baby, are you?" Harry said nervously

"Of course not." Sirius lied, a horrible feeling down in his gut.

* * *

This cliffy was inspired by Lddurham, who left Harry dangling his baby from a balcony and made me want to make my own readers nervous. Thank you to all who have reviewed this! One hundred reviews is more than I ever expected when I wrote the little one-shot! 

Woohoo!

reivew


	7. Chapter 7

"Sirius?"

"Hmm."

"Do you think I'm carrying high or low or is it too soon to tell?"

"What do you mean carrying high? Carrying what?"

"The baby. They say if you're carrying low it's a boy and high it's a girl."

"Oh, why does it matter?"

"Well, we're going to have to do the room sometime and I want to see if we should do it pink or blue. Wanna go see which room's best?"

"Oh, I dunno. Tommorow maybe." Sirius mumbled and Harry looked back at him before looking the mirror again and then getting into bed, facing away from Sirius. "I thought you were going to look at rooms."

"Yeah, right, I'll go do that." Harry got up, put on a dressing gown and walked out the room without another word. When he didn't come back after a half hour Sirius started to worry and, pulling on his own dressing gown, went in search of his husband. He wasn't in any of the spare rooms and Sirius wondered if he'd gone to the kitchen, perhaps for another craving.

He wasn't there either and Sirius was starting to panic when he heard a splash outside. He rushed out, lighting up his wand and pointing it at the pool.

"What do you think you're doing?" Sirius asked him as he shone the light on his husband, bobbing up and down in the water.

"I'm swimming. What do you think?" Sirius pointed the light at the dressing gown lying on the bricks.

"Naked?"

"It's so liberating, I've never felt so free." With that he laughed, threw his arms up and fell backwards into the water. Once he came up again, he moved his hair out of his face and grinned, a pink tinge to his cheeks.

"In this weather? You'll freeze. You'll kill the baby." He hissed and Harry's eyes narrowed.

"You wouldn't mind that."

"What?"

"For the past three weeks you've avoided the subject of the baby, you refuse to touch it. God, you wouldn't even give me your hand when I felt it move. Do you even want it anymore?"

"It moved?" Harry nodded. "When?"

"Last week when I woke you up. You told me to piss off and not wake you because you had work in the morning." He rolled his eyes.

"You didn't tell me it was moving."

"Do I have to do that, really? How often do I wake you for any reason?"

"Never."

"Exactly."

"Well, get out, let me feel it then."

"No, you come here."

"It's too cold, you get out."

"As you told me, piss off." Harry said and went back under the water. Sirius huffed and when he could see his husband wasn't going to get out, went back inside.

He waited up for about an hour before Harry came back into the room, the robe wrapped tightly around him and his body still sopping wet. Sirius got up and moved so fast Harry never even saw him coming until he found the robe being undone. Sirius placed his hand on the cold flesh, noticing for the first time in three weeks how it had gotten bigger. It had started to resemble a bump less but did not look like any sort of ball yet as Sirius knew it eventually would.

He felt a flutter and when he looked to Harry's face, he nodded. It happened again.

"Wow." There were no other words for it and slowly he felt the anger or dislike for the child start to melt away. As they lay in bed, both half asleep, Sirius spoke.

"Harry?" He mumbled.

"Mmm?"

"I think it's going to be a boy."

"Well, we'll have to make it blue then, won't we?" Harry mumbled back, putting his hands on Sirius's, chuckling as the baby moved again.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, the baby started moving more and more frequently and by the time another month had passed, Sirius found it hard to believe he had felt anything but love for it. 

Although their relationship was back on the level where it had previously been, both of them had been worried about the arguments. In the four and a half years they'd been together, they'd never had any real fights before. This was why people had been so superstitious and had advised them (Lily and James included) to wait a while before tying the knot. But now, two big fights within two months of each other…

The weight was still coming off much too slowly for Sirius's liking, but from the comments he'd gotten on it and the looseness of his robes; at least he knew he wasn't imagining it. Harry however, was moving into his fifth month and had reached the point where nothing of his own would fit around his waist, though it didn't seem to bother him as much as Sirius hadthought it would.

He'd taken to wearing Sirius's old robes around the house and finally, they had the chance to get him some new ones of his own. He could easily walk down to get some by himself while Sirius was at work, but Sirius didn't and never had liked him to go there alone. Harry, as much as he was an adult, was small and his (rather-feminine) beauty made him a target for attackers.

So, early on a Saturday morning, the couple left the house and made their way down the hill to theshops at the bottom. They came back up hours later not only with robes that would fit Harry for a month or two, but with new robes to fit Sirius's slowly slimming body, bags of groceries, a large fluffy Kelpie plushie for the baby and from the pet store, a toy bone to stop Sirius chewing the furniture.

They got home laughing and joking until they walked past the living room and both stopped. Sirius put down the bags and dropped the Kelpie under his arm. It fell to the floor with a squeak as Sirius approached the large haughty-looking grey owl. He took the letter from it and neither he nor Harry needed to open it to know who sent it. The large P stamp on the front gave it away…

* * *

Thanks to all who reviewed! Just to clear something up because there's been some confusion: Harry does have red hair in this story because he looks a lotlike his mother. If you liked it, please review, I accept anonymous and even just two word reviews! Come on people! 


	8. Chapter 8

"Have you lost your mind?" Sirius raised an eyebrow and smirked at him.

"This is from the person who was skinny dipping a few weeks ago." Harry was speechless for a moment before gesturing to Sirius's baggy shirt and running shorts.

"Please explain?"

"Well, I couldn't sleep and I was thinking… I want to, slim down, quicker and I have nothing better to do, so why not going jogging?"

"Good idea, let me go change and I'll come with you."

"Wait, you can't."

"I can't?"

"Now's not the time for you to be tiring yourself out or dieting. Go inside before you turn blue." He said, gesturing in the same way to Harry's knee-length bathrobe and bare feet.

"I've never been on a diet in my life." Sirius kissed him before running off, looking behind him at his husband.

"Be glad you haven't." He called. "They're horrible."

* * *

Later that day, Sirius found himself digging in between the cushions of the couch, throwing the decorative pillows to the floor impatiently. 

"What in heaven's name are you doing now?" An exhausted voice said and Sirius stopped.

"I thought we bought you those robes for a reason last week."

"We did. What's the problem?"

"Why are you still wearing mine then?" Harry shrugged, fingering the collar and holding it to his nose, inhaling the scent. "Right. When you're done sniffing the clothes, why don't you go have a lie down? You look too tired."

"I still have to finish the washing and scrub the kitchen floor."

"I promise I'll help you do it later." Harry grinned at him.

"I'm going to hold you to that, you know."

"I know you will. Now go sleep. I'll come up in about an hour." Harry went upstairs and Sirius continued digging, eventually crying out in triumph as he held up the bone they'd bought. He transformed and after spending a few moments chewing on it, padded outside with it in his mouth.

He dug a hole in the backyard and had his nose buried in it, sand flying everywhere, when he heard a snigger. He stopped and looked around sharply.

"Still resorting to your animal instincts?" James said shaking his head. "Come on, it's freezing out here." Sirius personally disagreed with him. Compared to the usual weather, today was quite warm. But considering the only time James had been here was for his and Harry's wedding (They had gotten engaged in spring, but had wanted a winter wedding. So instead of waiting an entire year, they'd had it in summer in Bulgaria), he pushed his way through the backdoor anyway and let his father-in-law follow.

He turned back and James looked at him in distaste. Well, Sirius had expected that because of the mud covering his hands and face from digging in the moist ground. He took his wand out of his pocket and started cleaning the dirt off.

"What do you want anyway?" Sirius asked James as the shorter man walked into the sitting room. Sirius followed and James didn't even glance at him, instead he looked at the pictures on the mantle. He examined one of Harry and Sirius cutting the cake at their wedding before answering.

"You know what I want. You got our letter last week and yet you didn't come. Do you know how upset Lily was when neither of you turned up for dinner?"

"Do you know upset your son was after the last one?" Sirius said through gritted teeth as James turned to look at him, he looked just as angry. Neither noticed Harry woken up and was at the top of the stairs listening to every word.

"What? He was upset because we actually want grandchildren someday?" James gave a loud cruel laugh. "You know, Lily actually gave him a potion for it a few months ago, slipped it into his tea. But you've got to have sex within three days, so obviously it didn't work." Sirius opened his mouth but no words came out.

"I knew I shouldn't have allowed this marriage."

"Get out."

"What are you going to do if I don't? Sit on me?" Harry had heard enough and both heads turned as there was a crash. Harry came storming down the stairs, glaring at James. He went right up to him.

"How dare you?" He whispered in a dangerous tone, poking a finger in his chest. "What gives you the right to decide when we have children? You don't know everything. We could have three of them sleeping upstairs already and you would never know it because you're just a selfish bastard. And who do you think you are to insult Sirius? Overweight or not, he's twice the man you'll ever be and I would have married him whether you allowed it or not!" Harry said this all very quickly, but Sirius caught every word of it. "Now, get out, or I'll make you leave."

"Wha-" Harry screamed and Sirius had to pull him back as he started shooting random hexes at James, who covered his head and ran for the door. Once he was out of sight, Harry stopped and collapsed into Sirius's arms, breathing deeply, the exhaustion showing on his face as he passed out.

* * *

When Harry woke drowsily, he found himself in his and Sirius's bedroom. His husband was sitting next to him on the edge of the bed. He smiled when he saw that Harry was awake. 

"Hey Baby." He whispered. "You did great. Gave him exactly what he deserved."

"I was just, so angry, that they think it's their right to decide our future."

"I know. You have every right to be angry. But you lied to me, you said you took the potion."

"I thought I'd accidentally taken it."

"How would you accidentally take that?" Harry blushed and didn't say anything. "Harry…what have you been doing?"

"I found one of your old cauldrons and I've kinda been, experimenting, with different potions." Sirius looked at him in shock. "What? You thought all I did was cook and clean?"

"But you actually drank those potions?"

"Just one. It seemed right." Sirius looked at him like he was mad.

"What the hell was the potion that you felt the need to make yourself?"

"An energy potion. I knew that if I asked you to get it, you'd just tell me I needed more sleep."

"This was before or after we had tea with your mother?"

"About three weeks after." Sirius sighed.

"At least this explains some things."

"Like what?"

"Like why you're already bigger than you're supposed to be. You're three weeks further along." He reached out a hand, brushing it along Harry's side and feeling the baby squirm.

"Are you still complaining about me wearing your robes? It saved us from having to deal with them even more." Sirius, if he heard this statement, didn't acknowledge it.

"I just can't believe you'd be so irresponsible to take your own potions. I could have come home and found you dead!"

"You're mad about that, then?"

"What do you think?" Sirius snapped and pulled his hand back before standing up and leaving.

* * *

He didn't go back to their room that night and he didn't see Harry until he came downstairs to go to work the following morning. He didn't say anything, but kissed Harry on the top of the head and left without waiting for a response. 

He came home late that night, his apologies and carefully thought out reprimands playing over again in his mind. The house had no usual sounds of Harry in the kitchen preparing dinner, or his occasional off tune singing. Sirius knew straight away that something was wrong. He found the kitchen empty and a smallyellow note on the table. He read it three times in horror before spinning around and running upstairs.

_Sirius._

_Gone to do some serious thinking. Suggest you do the same. Will be back once I've cleared my head._

_All My Love._

_Harry. xXx_

A scream of anger and shock sounded from the bedroom as Sirius pulled out the drawers, finding half of his husband's wardrobe missing…

* * *

For those you didn't notice, fanfiction went on a deleting spree once again a few days ago. Various people I know have lost stories and accounts. I am no exception. 'Mama knows best' was taken down and I have been onban for the past few days... Thanks for all the reviews, they're picking up and I could not be happier.

This chapter is dedicated to all those who wanted angst, magic and Harry going off at James.

**The-mpreg-spirit**


	9. Chapter 9

"Hey Orion!" Someone called and Sirius didn't need to look up from his desk as his brother used his old nickname for him.

"Hey Leo." He replied dully and Regulus frowned.

_Laughter rang through the almost empty corridor and the portraits on the walls frowned at the teenage boys passing, though none seemed to have noticed. A lone figure appeared at the end and one of the boys, the tallest and probably most handsome one, stopped laughing. It was only as the smaller figure came closer that the other three noticed him and quieted._

_The person was a young boy about fourteen, but something was wrong. He had dark circles under his eyes and seemed on edge and jumpy._

"_What do you want?" The handsome boy said scornfully._

"_Sirius…" The younger boy said, looking up at his older brother pleadingly. "I need to talk to you. In private." He shot a nervous look to Sirius's curious friends._

"_Yeah, we'll meet you in the common room, Padfoot." James said and made to walk forward, but Sirius shot out an arm and held him back._

"_No Prongs, stay. Anything you say to me can be said in front of them." Regulus looked unsurely at them again before speaking softly._

"_Father decided over the summer that since you were gone, I had to prepare to come into my inheritance." Sirius didn't show emotion at this but crossed his arms over his chest._

"_I figured that much would happen. They're obviously not giving it to me. What? Are you having problems with that?" Regulus didn't answer but also folded his arms and looked away. Sirius stepped forward and took Regulus's face in his hand, examining it slowly before looking into his eyes. Suddenly, he slapped him sharply across the right cheek and looked furious._

"_I'm sorry Sirius…"_

"_Sorry? You've gone against me and have been high as an Augury for at least a month from the look of you. I told you not get mixed up with those people." He said angrily._

"_Yes, well you also told me you wouldn't leave!" He shouted pulling away. He had tears in his eyes as he stared angrily at Sirius. "You promised me that no matter how bad it got, you wouldn't run away!"_

"_I tried Regulus, you know that. I just couldn't take it anymore." Sirius said softly._

"_Father's going to rape me Sirius, he told me he's going to do it when I come home." He said, once again barely above a whisper. James, Peter and Remus collectively gasped._

"_At least you got a warning of it…"_

"_What? You mean he…" James stuttered putting a hand on Sirius's shoulder._

"_Every Black man goes through it. It supposedly builds character. Innocence must be tossed away and virginity given away to the person who gave a piece of himself so you would enter this world." Sirius shrugged. "Of course, he'll tell you all this while he's doing it."_

"_When?" Regulus asked, shocked that his brother was so calm about this._

"_Same age as you are now, maybe a bit younger. I try not to think about it. I just know it was the summer before fourth year over the sofa in the sitting room." Regulus suddenly dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around Sirius's legs, hanging on tightly with his eyes shut._

"_Please Sirius, I don't want that to happen. I need your help. Don't make me go through that too." Sirius looked down at him for a long moment. Finally, he spoke._

"_You're not going home for Christmas, you're staying at Hogwarts." Regulus opened his eyes and looked up at him before taking Sirius's offered hand and being hauled to his feet._

"_What about the summer?"_

"_You're coming with me." Regulus stared at him before wrapping his arms round Sirius's ribs, where his head only just reached, and hugging him tightly. To his friends' surprise, Sirius hugged him back before shooing him off to his next class._

_They walked to the next class in silence and it was when they were queuing outside Transfiguration, that James caught Sirius's arm and whispered quickly to him._

"_Why didn't you ever say anything? I would have helped you out of there sooner."_

"_I didn't and still don't want people to know about it. Even you." James looked hurt but Sirius was avoiding his eye and didn't see. "Now can we drop the subject…"  
_

* * *

_Over the next two months or so, a lot changed. Their homework took up a lot of time and an unspoken agreement had come between them not to talk about Sirius's rape. Sirius spent the occasional Hogsmeade visit with Regulus, who looked a lot healthier and more confident since that day. This cut into his time usually spent with James and the between that, James's weekend nights spent alone with Lily in his bed and their schoolwork, the inseparable two were now drifting further apart._

_Like a child spinning around and finally falling down dizzy in the mud, things finally seemed to fall apart in early December, one week before the holidays. It was the rare occasion when the four were all together in the dormitory on a Friday evening, no homework and a free weekend ahead of them. Someone had banged on the door and when Remus opened, a first year had rushed in, whispered in Sirius's ear before he'd rushed out. _

_A half-hour later, Sirius kicked the door open and rushed in with a very beaten Regulus in his arms. He put him down on his bed and babbled on to Remus, panicking more than Remus had ever seen him do in seven years._

"_You know healing spells, please, save him, save my brother, Remus." Remus nodded and pulled a book from his bag, quickly flipping through it and looking for the incantations he needed._

"_I'll get Lily, she's going to train to be a healer and she'll know what to do." James said and Sirius, who was now kneeling next to Regulus, growled at him._

"_You can date the mudblood, but she's not coming anywhere near him with so much as a bruise healing potion." He snapped and James shot him an angry look but took his hand away from the doorknob, instead seeing if he could help Remus, who was attempting to heal the most severe looking cuts. Regulus chuckled as Remus undid his torn and bloody robes and removed his school shirt._

"_You're a good big brother, Orion." He said drowsy from the pain potion Remus, who had a supply for after the full moon, had given him. It took a moment before all three looked at Sirius, who shot him back a sad smile, stroking his hand._

"_No Leo, I'm not, or this wouldn't have happened. I should have stopped it."_

"_You are! You protect me from mudbloods and teach me important stuff, like where to sit to get the best food at the feasts and how to blame Kreacher for dropping Grandmother's necklace in the toilet." He chuckled again and his eyes drooped and eventually closed._

_Sirius stood up and walked to the bathroom, his hands buried in his hair. Remus healed as much as he could and he left the boy in just his underclothes on Sirius's bed, looking considerably less beaten. Peter covered him with the blanket as Remus went looking for Sirius, finding him still in the bathroom. He was sitting in the dark and when Remus flipped the light on, he saw he was curled in the corner with his head in his knees and his hair covering his face._

_Remus sat down near him and he didn't say anything._

"_So, you dropped your Grandmother's necklace in the toilet… how did that happen?" He touched his hand when he got no answer and Sirius pulled away suddenly, shrinking back against the wall._

"_What happened?" Remus asked him softly and Sirius looked up. He moved his hair out of his eyes and Remus saw his eyes were red from crying and tear streaks were on his cheeks._

"_I found him down in the dungeons stuffed into a broom closet. He managed to tell me it was some of his housemates."_

"_We'll find out who when he wakes up and you can rip their heads off. Personally, I would help if the full moon was a bit closer than three weeks." Sirius laughed and gave a sniff, wiping his nose on his sleeve._

"_Thank you Moony, for fixing him. I can't take him to Madam Pomfrey, she'd ask too many questions and then she'd notify father. If he knows he's been hanging around with me, he'll kill both of us."_

Sirius had found the only safety from their father for both of them was to transfer Regulus to Durmstrang after Christmas, finish his own education and Hogwarts, and go over there afterwards.

Regulus had now been married about twelve years and had two beautiful children. He was shorter and had dark brown hair instead of black, but other than that, Regulus looked a lot like his brother. Marriage had done the same to him as Sirius and they now also shared similar rounder figures. He sank down into the chair in front of Sirius's desk.

"What's gotten you so upset?"

"Who says I'm upset?"

"I work three floors down and I've heard it. Everyone says you've been moping for a good three days now." Sirius slumped down on his desk again. After two days when he realised that Harry wasn't coming back anytime soon, he'd grown more and more miserable. "Sirius?"

"It's Harry."

_Flashback_

_Standing outside the house, one of Sirius's gloved hands reached out and pressed the button, the sound of the doorbell echoing inside the house. The other however, hung onto the much smaller delicate hand of his boyfriend, giving it a small squeeze of reassurance as footsteps from inside pounded towards the door._

_"It'll be ok. Just be yourself and he'll love you as much as I do." Sirius said and kissed his forehead. The door opened and a man looked out at them. He grinned at Sirius and they embraced tightly. _

_Sirius clapped him on the back and held an arm over his shoulder. When you looked closely, you could easily see how much they looked alike. The man was quite tall, but easily still shorter than Sirius. He was what you would call considerably chubby, not quite fat but still bulky with a plump face and potbelly._

_"So, is this the one I've heard so much about?" He said and then spoke to his brother in Bulgarian. **"Very nice indeed, good body, pretty face. Never thought you'd go for a carrot top though." **Harry frowned as Sirius laughed._

_"**It's not orange, just dark red." **Harry said suddenly and both looked at him in shock. "Lessons for two hours three times a week. A month of that's gotta sink in somehow." Regulus laughed and moved to let Harry in. Sirius still just stood there and Harry kissed his cheek before going into the house and out of the cold._

_The afternoon went well and by that evening, Regulus, his wife Opal and even Caelum, their seven-year-old son, had taken to him. Things only seemed to get better as Opal brought in their six-month-old daughter into the room once she woke from her nap. When Harry held and played with her, saying how he loved children and was used to them from his many siblings, it seemed they all accepted him into the family gladly.

* * *

_

_Sirius leant against the kitchen counter smiling as his brother closed the door to the kitchen behind him. Sirius already knew why Regulus wanted to talk to him in private before he'd even said so._

_"He's great, isn't he?"_

_"Yeah,just lovely,but are you sure he's right for you?" The smile left Sirius's face._

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Do you have anything in common?" Sirius shrugged._

_"We have enough chemistry. We don't need anything in common." Sirius stood up straight and frowned. "Why? Don't you like him?"_

_"Stop putting words in my mouth Sirius! Sometimes chemistry isn't enough. And the circumstances aren't exactly in favour of your relationship."_

_"And how do you come up with that one?"_

_"Well, look at it. He's the son of your ex best friend. He's nineteen, you're thirty-six! Ten minutes ago he didn't seem to object to the idea of marriage and children, something you've sworn since we were smaller than Caelum you'd never want!"_

_"Yeah, well maybe I changed my mind." He said shifting and his hand fiddling in his pocket. "Maybe I'm serious about this one."_

_"How serious exactly?" His hand pulled out a small box from the pocket and he stared at it. "Sirius…"_

_"I love him Regulus. I don't care if we have nothing in common or that he's related to **him**. I know he's the one, I just know it. I've never felt this way about anyone before and I'm not letting it die."_

_"Just wait a while before you do something you might regret, that's all I'm saying…" Sirius was already out the kitchen, the box safely back in his pocket. Regulus took a deep breath, shook his head and sighed before following him. Harry was holding Caelum's cat, but as the little boy ran out the room, shoved it onto Sirius's lap, who pushed it onto the floor immediately._

_"Don't you like cats?" Sirius asked him amusedly as he took out a hankie and blew his nose. Harry sniffed and smiled slightly._

_"God no! I threw my roommate's one down the stairs in fifth year when he wouldn't get rid of it." Sirius laughed loudly. " I'm allergic to them and the thing kept lying on my bed, so I just took it and tossed it out in front of everybody in the Gryffindor common room."_

_"How allergic are you?"_

_"Well, let's put it this way: I'm never getting one. I'm more of a dog person anyway." Regulus looked at his brother and saw the hand in his pocket grip what he knew must be the ring box. He knew no matter what he said, from the look in his brother's eyes, he would never be able to stop him from proposing now._

"What about him?" Sirius looked at him sadly.

"He left me Regulus. Harry left me." He said, his voice breaking. Regulus nearly fell off his chair.

"Why would he do that? Are you sure?"

"He might as well have done it. Told me he's going to do some thinking." Regulus was speechless and he saw tears in Sirius's eyes. His voice went into a horse, shaky whisper. "What if something happens to him? If someone hurts him, how will I ever live with myself?"

"Don't worry. Harry's small but he's feisty. I feel sorry for the fool that tries." Sirius shook his head.

"Not right now, I wouldn't." Regulus opened his mouth to ask why. "Not with the baby."

"You guys have had a baby? And I wasn't told this?"

"No, he hasn't had it yet. Only in about four months or so."

"Still doesn't explain why you didn't say anything. Or about why he suddenly walked out."

"We've been fighting lately. Over the past few months I don't know what's happened. Maybe he's not even coming back. He's been gone for five days already."

"He'll come back, he wouldn't leave now. Not after you two made this decision. I mean it's a major change."

"What do you mean?"

"Obviously you discussed children and he took the potion for it. You must have been prepared psychologically for it. You can't just snap your fingers and expect to suddenly adjust to a baby."

"Right..." Sirius replied, his stomach sinking even lower...

* * *

Thank you to all who have reviewed the past chapter. I'm very happy with the amount, which is why I'm updating so quickly. I've been sick for the past few days, which means I've been at home writing and getting a lot of this story done. 

I apologise for the above mentions of child rape. Sirius is not as easy-going about it despite what it seems. Feelings do come out later in the story...

Review please for another quick update...


	10. Chapter 10

Two days following, Sirius still hadn't seen hide or hair of Harry and it was taking its toll on him. He couldn't eat, he couldn't sleep. He kept thinking about Regulus's words. They made sense and it explained why they were fighting. They'd known for almost four months and not once had they just sat and talked about how much this baby would effect everything and how they'd handle it. You usually discussed these things first.

He felt extremely angry with Lily and James for doing this. How could they just decide that they were ready for children? The subject had never even come up until Harry had told him he was pregnant. What if it completely destroyed the marriage?

_It's already done that stupid!_ If his conscience had to appear on his shoulder and the voice was anything to go by, it would look like Remus. _This is his fault anyway._ No, he argued with himself, he just warned him about it. They'd been fighting before that. Pangs of guilt and worry beat against his heart, the sound ringing in his ears.

Could it have been him saying Harry was like his mother have driven him away? Harry had made it clear from the beginning that he didn't like being compared to his parents. He'd threatened to dye his hair numerous times, but hadn't been pushed far enough to actually use the dark hairpotions that had been lying in the bathroom cupboard since the day after they'd gotten back from their honeymoon.

_If I ever act like that shallow anorexic cow that I am forced to call mother, promise me Sirius, even at the slightest sign, you'll hold me down and pour this stuff over my head…_

He chuckled at Harry's words and heard the door open, voices whispering. Without a second thought, he ran to the hallway and his heart leapt. Harry was there and behind him was Regulus, who closed the door and spotted Sirius first, muttering something to Harry, who turned and smiled.

Sirius ran up to Harry and enveloped him in a tight hug, which Harry returned just as happily.

"I was so worried about you. I'm sorry! I'm so so sorry!" Sirius sobbed and Harry was just as tearful as he nodded. Sirius looked at Regulus gratefully, who just gave a smile and wisely said nothing.

Once he was gone, they went upstairs and Harry dropped his bag on the floor and sat down on the bed. His eyes looked like he'd been crying a lot and from the way he slumped down, he looked exhausted. Sirius wondered briefly if it was because of him or the baby.

"I felt it kick yesterday." He said quietly. Sirius reached over to touch and Harry shook his head. Sirius pulled his hand back and frowned. "It hasn't done it again since, I think it's sleeping right now." His own hand rubbed the top of his stomach affectionately.

"I'm sorry about what I said."

"I needed the time to think anyway. It's not your fault I left."

"I never said it was my fault. It was uncalled for to just disappear like that."

"Yeah, well it's also uncalled for to compare me to my mother every time we argue, but I've never said anything."

"Look, this is not going right…"

"What gives you that idea?"

"Can't we just skip this and solve it the right way."

"And just what is the right way?" Sirius leaned forward and kissed Harry passionately and the younger man was soon lying flat on his back, his husband's hands working at his clothing.

"You realise sex doesn't solve the problems, just delay them."

"I know." Sirius panted and kissed him again. "But it'll help us both relax."

"So what are you going to do when you argue with the baby? Fuck it too?" Sirius stopped and looked at him in shock for a moment before slapping him hard across the face.

"How dare you! How dare you imply that I would do something so horrible?" Tears formed in Harry's eyes.

"I-I-I was just k-kidding." He said stunned and Sirius got off him before rolling over onto his side. "No need to make such a big deal of it." Sirius raised an eyebrow and turned his head to look at Harry before turning over to face him.

"You remember that night we got engaged." Harry nodded.

"We were lying on your bed in your flat drinking from one bottle of brandy…" He smiled at the memory.

"And we were talking about anything and everything." Harry nodded. "You remember we were asking each other questions?"

"Yeah, I remember that."

"And I wouldn't tell you my first time, no matter how much you begged." Harry nodded again and frowned. "It was my father." Sirius blurted out after a moment and the next thing he knew, he was sitting up had his head buried in his husband's neck and was sobbing loudly as Harry whispered to him and stroked his hair comfortingly.

"I'm sorry Harry, I'm really sorry." He whispered to him softly. "I should have been better, then it wouldn't have happened."

"It's not your fault, Sirius. If he was a paedophilic freak, nothing you could've done would have changed that."

"I got it because I couldn't stay out of detention longer than a week, and then I left Regulus with him, if he hadn't came to me, the same thing would have happened to him."

"But you stopped it Sirius, you got him away before that happened." Sirius just gave another sob and like Sirius had done to him on the kitchen floor four months ago, took his face in his hands. "You were just caught up in it."

"What if it's genetic? I don't know how to be a father or what they're supposed to do. What if I become like him and hit the three year old on the back of the head withthe dog-topped cane?"

"He hit you with it?"

"Regulus. He's still got the dents from the fangs." He shuddered.

"Well I don't know how to be a mother either. What am I supposed to do? Give the thing gender-switching potions if it's not what I want?" Sirius looked up into his face suddenly. "Now you know my secret as well."

"You're a woman?" Harry wrinkled his nose and shook his head.

"Would have been. She decided that the ballet wasn't enough. Lucky for me my father noticed the differences while changing me and was able to reverse it before it did too much damage."

"Too much? Why too much?"

"Why I've known I prefer men from the age of 10, why I look so much like her, why they were able to slip us the potion so easy."

"What does the baby have to do with it?"

"Usually it takes a series of different potions and a lot of operations to give a male the ability to have children, but they were able to do it in one potion."

"Why?"

"Because the inside damage was never repaired, the ovaries and uterus and everything that has formed is still there, it just needed the potion to, how would I say it, awaken, and give your, ahem, little swimmers, a way to get there."

"How do you know all this? I mean, surely you can't remember it from age three?"

"I asked her at sixteen to do the operations."

"Sixteen!" Harry laughed and shrugged.

"School seemed to have no point for me and I was in a serious relationship I thought was true love at the time."

"Oh? And she just told you all of this?" Harry nodded.

"Didn't seem remorseful or anything about it. Still believed that I should been given the rest of the potions."

"My god, she's crazier than I thought." Harry shrugged. "So you accepted it?"

"You're kidding right? She apologised three weeks later by giving me the potion."

"And what happened to that baby?"

"I never said there was a baby. You know I never did anything like that till, you know, we were married." Harry blushed and gave himan innocent little smile.

"So where's the potion then?" Harry hesitated for a moment before reaching into the neck of his robes and lifting out the chain he always wore. Instead of a charm, a tiny little phial with a bright neon green potion in, sealed tightly with an equally small cork, hung by his neck. Sirius's eyes widened.

"I told you'd find out what it was eventually..."

* * *

I doubt Sirius's crying is in character, but under the circumstances, I think it fits here. I don't think this will interest a lot of people, but the thing I love most about this story is the constrast between this Harry and The 'What Have I Done' Harry. If you've read the story you'll get what I mean... (Yeah, I'm self pimping, so?) 

Anyway, I'm babbling. Thanks to the reviewers. Oh, and to LauryLynn who was anon so I can'tr reply. It's not ooc for Sirius to call Lily a mudblood. He was raised by dark wizards, so it's natural. And that flashback was orginally intended to show exactly why Sirius and James are not very good friends anymore...

Review please.


	11. Chapter 11

Arms snaked around the small person from behind and large tanned hands rested on the enlarged round abdomen. The owner of the large stomach sighed and put a smaller paler hand with only a diamond wedding band, on top of the bigger one. The child under them rolled over.

"It's not doing it today either."

"It's over seven months already."

"I know."

Time seemed to fly by and Harry had finally started to really look pregnant, his full stomach sticking out far from his body, looking much too big for his tiny frame, and yet the baby still hadn't even given the slightest kick, despite Sirius coming downstairs every morning and wrapping his arms around it first thing, or his attempts to trick it by poking Harry suddenly in the middle of the night and waking both up. He hadn't done that one for a week since Harry had started crying.

"When did it kick the first time?"

"It only did it once and it was right before Regulus showed up." Sirius sighed and poked it in desperation. Harry pushed his hands off in annoyance. "That's it! You've worn out your welcome for today."

"Aw!"

"Let it sleep."

"If it would kick once, I would."

"Then you'll have your hands all over it for the rest of the pregnancy and it'll get no sleep whatsoever. Maybe that's why it hasn't. Smart kid…"

"Yeah, well, if it knows what's good for it, it'll start soon."

"What are you going to do? Poke it till it kicks you in anger?"

"Oh ha ha. Very funny. At least I'm trying."

"I don't need to try because I can understand that it'll kick when it's ready." Sirius sighed again. "Don't worry, it'll happen eventually, My tall dark and handsome." Sirius cracked a smile.

"You haven't called me that in ages… I don't think you mean it anymore." Harry turned around in his arms.

"I know your name now, so I don't really need to. You're still tall, you're still dark and you're still the most handsome man I've ever dated." Harry said as he leant against his husband's chest, closing his eyes and holding him closely.

"And you're still my Swan..."

"Hardly. I don't think I can even do a simple pirouette jump anymore." Harry said dryly, looking at his stomach. He looked away when Sirius's hand lifted his chin and kissed his lips.

"I didn't call you it because you could spin around the room without falling over or leap across a stage and land on your toes. I called you it because swans are beautiful. You're my swan. My beautiful innocent virgin swan." Harry snorted with laughter. "Well, still beautiful anyway."

After a few more minutes of cuddling, snuggling and whispering sweet nothings, Sirius sat down at the table.

"Sirius, I was wondering…"

"Wondering what?"

"Do you think I could go down to the village today? Just for a little while?"

"No. It's too dangerous for you and the baby."

"But I'll be careful and I can take my pepper spray and, and, and…" Harry stumbled to find something else he could use to convince him, but Sirius beat him to it.

"No!"

"I want to be go out and socialise with other people besides you. I'm tired of staying here alone all day."

"It was your choice…"

_Flashback_

"_Turn it up please." _

"_Harry, the music's loud enough. We're going to go deaf if it's any louder." But Harry didn't hear his father; he had gone back to staring out the window at the farm they were passing. _

"_Can I get a horse?"_

"_When you earn your own money, you can buy yourself a horse."_

"_That won't be long after today, if he's been practicing." Lily added in and turned around to smile at her son, who was currently bouncing up and down excitedly on the back seat of the car. He nodded at her happily._

"_They pay you to travel doing shows everywhere. It'll be perfect."_

"_What about Sirius?"_

"_What about him?" Harry asked, sitting still and then leaning forward._

"_It's already hard enough to have a long distance relationship from two different countries, but if you're constantly moving around."_

"_We'll work it out. If it gets too much, I'll quit and move back home."_

"_You'll quit the only job you'll probably get?" Harry frowned._

"_I could get another job, if I wanted too."_

"_What job will you get?" Harry had looked out the window again as they passed a brightly coloured sign for a shopping centre._

"_I need new a new pair of dress robes." _

"_My point exactly." James said smirking and looking back at the road._

* * *

"_Keep still or it's going to smudge all over your face." Lily said as she applied the mascara to Harry's eyelashes. His eyes looked around and lit up as he looked to the far right of the room, a person was frowning and folding their arms as they scanned the room themselves. As soon as his mother moved the brush away, he ran off. The person laughed when they saw him and opened their arms._

_Sirius caught him and was hugged tightly as Harry leapt into his arms, something that became a regular thing when they didn't see each other in a long time. In this case, six days._

_Once put down, he kissed him deeply, uncaring that there was room full of people getting ready for auditions. _

"_I thought you weren't coming!"_

"_You asked me to be here, do you think I'd miss your big day?"_

"_You make it sound like I'm getting married or something." Harry's eyes twinkled brightly and Sirius grinned back at him, hugging him again and whispering in his ear._

"_Soon enough you will be." Another voice called to Harry and he looked round to see his mother beckoning him over. Sirius wrapped his arm round Harry's hips and they walked over to them, ignoring the weird stares they got._

_Lily grabbed Harry's arm and sighed as she started redoing the make up, which had mostly ended up over Sirius's lips, much to James's amusement._

"_Stop moving Harry!" Lily said as he continued to look around, taking in everything as the room slowly started to clear out. She reached into her bag and pulled out a little potion, holding it out to Harry._

"_What is it?" James asked her sharply and she glared at him. Sirius didn't know why and assumed from the look on Harry's face, that it was something in the family. _

"_It's only a calming drought." She snapped back and gave it to Harry, who took it and unsurely drank it. His eyes glazed over and he didn't move again. It took quite a while, but once she finished Sirius barely recognized Harry._

"_You look so different with make up." Harry, though looking very drowsy, blushed and stood up wobbling. He nearly fell and Sirius caught him under his arms, helping him to stand. He smiled up at him and kissed his cheek._

"_Don't smudge it again or you're doing it yourself!" Lily said angrily and someone burst through the door of the now empty-besides-them room._

"_Harry! We've been looking everywhere for you, come on, we're about to start!" They dragged him by the arm and he stumbled as they neared the door, but just laughed. "What's wrong with you?" They disappeared through the door._

"_I think the draught was a bit too strong."_

"_Oops."_

"_You could have given it to him when he needed to sit still, like during his school exams, but no, you give it to him when he needs the energy?"_

"_He'll be fine. Let's go get a drink or some breakfast." The two walked to the door before looking at Sirius._

"_You coming? We've been to these before, they take about an hour or two." Sirius shook his head. "Your loss." They left and Sirius went into the main room to wait, which was strangely empty. It seemed all the other parents and friends had the same idea as Lily and James. Sirius sighed and leaned against the wall, thinking and wondering how they were going to manage if Harry got this. He needn't have worried. After about a half hour, the door opened and a tall stern looking woman came out holding Harry's arm. Surely they couldn't be done already?_

_But as Sirius watched, it didn't seem over. She was scolding him, holding his shoulders and shaking him, but he just stared back at her, not noticing. As she finished and turned back into the room, leaving him out there, Harry went past hurriedly out the other door. Sirius frowned and followed him. _

_The building was on a hill over looking a huge field; the sun was just rising over it. He found him outside on the top, bushes and trees on his left and right. He'd sunk down onto the floor, his legs on either side of his body._

_Sirius kneeled down next to him and put a hand on his back. "I take it the audition didn't go well."_

"_I didn't even get there, after months of practicing, practising, practicing!" He said sadly, not looking at Sirius. "I was standing in line, you know where they sign your name and group in, and I don't know what happened. I just passed out and when I woke up, everyone was falling forward, like a giant line of dominos." He gave a weird sort of laugh and sob. _

_Sirius sat down next to him and held him closely. He wasn't crying badly, but the mascara was running down his face and the powder was rubbing off his cheeks._

"_It's ok, it's not the end of the world."_

"_What now? This is the only chance I had at any sort of career and it's ruined!"_

"_Did you ever really want a real career?" Harry shrugged._

"_I don't really care, but I want to put in my share. When we get married, what will I do? That is, if you haven't changed your mind now that you see how useless I am..."_

"_Of course I haven't changed my mind! I love you and we'll find something for you to do. I would marry you even if you couldn't blink." Harry laughed and put a finger on Sirius's cheek, where a lipstick print still remained. Sirius stopped him rubbing it off._

"_I wanna keep that a while, just to show people how much luckier than them I am." Harry moved his hand and stared lovingly at his fiancé before kissing his neck and making his shiver._

_

* * *

"__Next time, no calming draughts beforehand, even if you stab him with your bloody mascara brush." James said as they started the long journey home, Sirius lying on the backseat with Harry in his arms._ " 

"_He didn't miss it because of me, Mrs. Lopert said she told him to wake up and come back, so more like no sneaking out off into the woods to make out." She shot them a glare, looking at the lipstick-covered lovebites on Sirius's neck._

"_It's alright, there won't be a next one."_

"_What? You're quitting?"_

"_I've had enough, I'm done with ballet." Harry said shrugging and as Lily looked to the front again, Sirius kissed the back of his neck. He turned over and lay on top of Sirius as a hand rubbed over his shoulder. Sirius noticed something unusual around Harry's neck and picked it up, looking at it carefully._

"_What's this?"_

"_Oh, it's not important."_

"_So it's just for show?"_

"_Oh no, it's for a purpose, just not right now."_

"_And when is that going to be?"_

"_Eventually..." He laughed and looked back into his eyes before kissing him. Harry yelped as he felt Sirius's hand move up his thigh in his robe and when they broke apart, was rewarded with a growl._

"_Oi! Calm it down back there." James said looking through the mirror at them. After a few moments of silence, there was a giggle and Lily looked around again._

"_Do you mi-WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?" James put on brakes suddenly and the car spun. They all screamed and he finally managed to pull it over without bashing into anything. He looked round and saw that they'd been thrown back, the one shoulder of Harry's robes falling down, revealing his own series of lovebites, old and new._

"_That's why you screamed, for a few lovebites?"_

"_No! Harry, what's that round your neck?" Harry held the chain with a little bottle on in his hand. "No, not that one. What's that?" He quickly gripped that too._

"_Nothing." He said nervously._

"_Really? Would that 'nothing' happen to be an engagement ring?" James didn't believe it for a moment, but saw the blush on Harry's face and uneasy look on Sirius's._

"_WHAT?" He bellowed and Sirius sat up and Harry held in his arms, as if James was about to attack his fiancé. Harry's hand slowly loosened on the chain and he took it off, opening his shaking hand and showed them the single pearl ring. James took a deep breath and started the car again, speeding along the road as he regained his composure._

"_When did this happen?" He asked and to anyone who didn't know him, would seem calm, but all three occupants of the car knew better._

"_A week ago." Silence followed before he spoke in a hollow, dangerously quiet voice._

"_Give that ring back Harry, it's not going to happen." He said conclusively._

"_Wait James, let's just consider this logically before you say no." Lily interrupted and turned to look at them again as they both cocked their heads to look at the ring Harry had now placed on his finger and was holding up into the light. "Have you considered where you'll live? You know one of you'll have to move?"_

"_Of course. We haven't decided that yet bu-" Harry spoke over Sirius._

"_I'm going to go over there with him."_

"_What? Are you sure?" Sirius asked him and Harry nodded and looked into his eyes. Lily noticed that despite the calming draught having worn off a long time ago, Harry didn't seem to be jumpy or looking around at everything like usual. Instead his attention was solely focused on Sirius, his hand rubbing his fiancé's arm._

"_I am. I have nothing really to leave behind and if you had to move, you'd need to change jobs and leave your family and everything." Sirius kissed him suddenly and passionately._

"_God, I love you." He said breathlessly before pulling their mouths together again eagerly._

"_Just hold on for a moment, you do realize you also have family? Parents and brothers count." Lily said and Harry pulled away this time._

"_I know, I just think you'll have no problem going over there, I don't think Regulus will feel the same way." He grabbed Sirius again by the collar and crushed his lips against his, though Sirius didn't protest this at al as Harry straddled his hips._

"_Regulus? You're still in contact with him? How's he doing?" Sirius gave an impatient sigh._

"_Do you think I would just forget about him after spending a majority of my twenties taking care of him?" He said rolling his eyes. "He's doing just fine."_

"_No real damage from the beating those bastards gave him then?"_

"_Who beat him up? When was this?" Harry asked curiously._

"_It doesn't matter, it was his Slytherin housemates right before we moved."_

"_I think I might know why they did it."_

"_It's complicated Harry, I don't think he even knows why."_

"_Just 'cause he won't tell you why doesn't mean he doesn't know." Harry said, annoyed at Sirius's tone. "Don't treat me like I'm stupid, I was in that house up until six months ago!"_

"_You were a Slytherin? You're joking right?" He looked to James, who looked back at him through the rear-view mirror and gave a nod. "You've never told me."_

"_You never asked, so I assumed you knew." Harry shrugged and Sirius bit back the comments and held his tongue wisely._

"_So what are you planning on doing up in Bulgaria if you don't want to do dancing anymore." Lily prodded again and Harry thought for a moment._

"_He doesn't have to work. I make enough to support both of us and, any others that may come sometime during the duration of our marriage."_

"_But that's not happening anytime soon." Harry quickly added, looking warningly at Sirius._

"_Of course not. I want you to myself for at least a little while." Sirius growled again before pinching his behind. He growled back and was pushed down onto the seat. _

"_Save it for the wedding night."_

"_Speaking of the wedding, when are you planning on having it?"_

"_We haven't decided on a date, but it'll be soon." Sirius said quickly._

"_Very soon. Two months, four at the most. But only if there's a major emergency." Harry added before looking at his mother. "I'll need your help planning it though." James didn't even look at Lily and knew he'd lost her support of not allowing the wedding._

"_We'll have to work quickly. There's the ceremony to plan and the reception. Then there are the flowers and the catering. I'm taking off Monday. We'll have to start planning your dress if you want it ready in time for the day."_

"_You want a dress?" Sirius asked and Harry blushed and nodded. "Then you'll get any one you want." Harry blushed even more and smiled, kissing Sirius's hand._

"_Wait, isn't it tradition for the bride's parents to pay for the wedding?"_

"_Lily!"_

"_Harry and I will go first thing on Monday morning to the dressmaker. Madam Vanetino works quickly and her designs are exquisite, but she's also the most expensive." _

"_Only the best for my beautiful virgin bride."_

"_I think it's also fair that we pay for the dress too."_

"_Good grief!"_

"And I don't mind that choice, but I just want an hour around other people..."

"I said no Harry. That's the end of it." Sirius said with an air of finality and Harry didn't argue again but went back to making breakfast slightly sadder. Sirius didn't seem to notice and left for work soon afterwards. As much as Harry wanted to go, he put the feelings aside and did the washing up before cleaning the windows, vacuuming the carpets and doing the ironing. After everything was done, he sat down on the living room couch, leaning back tiredly.

Looking down, he put a hand on his stomach, wondering if there was really something wrong with the baby like Sirius had been worrying about for the past few weeks. It still didn't kick and after a few moments (or was it hours?), the doorbell rang. Harry heaved himself up with some difficulty and moved as fast as he could to answer it.

He really did love the baby and his pregnancy wasn't difficult or uncomfortable, but for someone who'd never been able to sit still for more than ten minutes (no, he wasn't stupid like a lot of people thought, he'd just never been able pay attention in lessons very long before getting distracted by the whomping willow outside the window or the pretty pink swirls his potion was emitting… probably the only thing he in Sirius had common), this new body, or rather the lack of movement that came with it, wasn't very much fun.

After what seemed like an eternity between the living room and front door (even though it was only two rooms), he pulled it open and didn't expect what he saw.

A tall haughty-looking man was standing there. He had dark black hair that had been combed back but not gelled down. He looked down on Harry, not nastily, but didn't smile as his eyes travelled over his body, stopping on his belly.

"Well, this could cause a problem." He said and spoke just as arrogantly as he looked.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, I'm looking for Sirius, Sirius Black."

"Who are you?"

"I'm, an old friend. Is he here?"

"I'm afraid he's not. Can I give him a message for you? Perhaps your name?"

"Unfortunately no, we didn't end off in good terms on our last meeting and he took something very precious from me." Harry looked over him again and his eyes rested in horror on the cane he was holding. A long black wooden stick and on the front of it was a silver crested B. What was worse, was on top was the silver head of a dog with a vicious expression on it's face and long sharp fangs.

What if I become like him and hit the three year old on the back of the head with a dog-topped cane?

Fear filled Harry up from the inside, his insides feeling hot and sticky like they were filled with caramel. The man noticed him looking and held up the cane, give a strange sort of smile.

"You like it?" Harry shook his head and dragged his eyes away from the cane as it was put on the floor and held in front of him. "Yes, well neither did Sirius. I remember it used to be quite useful when he wouldn't listen. But nothing compared to the reaction I would get out of his brother… You know Regulus I take it? He used to cower at the sight of it right up until the last time I saw him." Harry didn't say anything.

"You know, when I was told that my son was married, I wasn't told he had a child. It'll interfere with plans, but it's no problem. I'm sure your father will be most delighted to get a grandchild in exchange for losing a son in law…" Harry had wanted to stop him, tell him to leave, but a lump rose in his throat as his father was mentioned.

"My father?"

"Yes, he came to me with the information I've wanted for many a year, the location of one my sons, which you see, will lead me to my other."

"I think you should go now…" Harry tried to close the door and a large foot blocked the doorway.

* * *

Thank you to all who have been reviewing. 

This chapter is really long, so it's got three dedications. Firstly, for **Layelleswen** (I think this is the second time). I've never been more grateful for the advice, comforting words and laughsyou've given me in my recent rough periods. **Grins at the the naked image of Sirius in her head**

Secondly for Boblin. Hope you feel better about whatever's upsetting you after reading this. You're a great friend.

Lastly, something that should have happened a long time ago (maybe it did and I don't remember?). For **Miru Amai**. Reviewer, friend and long-time emailer. I'm considering changing the dedication on the insane story for you if Abbie doesn't want it. Or if second hand isn't your style, I'm looking for a new project that I'm sure you can be some help in **wink. **No chan this time... I promise.

All three of you and the companionships you bring are very special to me.

Jenna

Review

**Next chapter:** Harsh words, worry and two surprises for Sirius while Regulus makes a mistake that could cost him his genitals...


	12. Chapter 12

**Previous chapter:**

* * *

"I think you should go now…" Harry tried to close the door and a large foot blocked the doorway.

* * *

"We're lucky I forgot my papers in your lounge last month. If we hadn't found him so quickly, there could have been permanent damage."

"Yeah, I owe you big time, you saved both of them." The brothers looked into the room through the window and watched Harry reach out a hand and touch the bandage on the side of his head gingerly, wincing before going back to staring down at his feet sadly, if he could even see them anymore.

"What were you arguing about earlier anyway?"

"_You disobeyed me Harry! I told you not to go down to the village!"_

"_Sirius, I didn't, I promise."_

"_THAT'S BULLSHIT! YOU'RE TELLING ME SOMEONE RANDOMLY TURNED UP AT OUR HOUSE AND BEAT YOU HALF TO DEATH?"_

"He went down to the village when I told him this morning not to."

"How do you know he did?"

"He asked this morning if he could go and then he's attacked the same day? I doubt it's a coincidence." Regulus didn't answer. "Regulus?"

"I know why he asked. When I found him, he told me how he feels smothered being stuck alone in the house all day, unable to ever go out without you. I told him to ask you if he could go."

"You did?" Sirius said guiltily and Regulus nodded. Sirius looked back to the window and saw Harry was crying into his hands before wiping his one off with his palm. Opal, who was sitting next to him, rubbed his back and handed him a tissue.

"I think you'd better go apologise and maybe try not to shout so much next time you argue."

"It's the way I get when I'm angry."

"I know that, but stop it, before you drive him away."

"What do mean? Did he say something to you?"

_"I don't want to anymore, Regulus. I don't want to do this. I want to be able to leave without caring. Please, tell me how to stop loving him. I don't want to love him anymore..."_

"Nope." Sirius sighed and opened the door. Opal and Harry both looked up before Opal stood up.

"Come on Aquila, Sirius and Harry need to talk." She took her daughter's hand and the little girl waved goodbye to Harry as they left. After they were gone, Sirius waited for Harry to say something, but just wiped his eyes on the tissue as more tears leaked out of his eyes.

"Why are you crying?"

"I've just had the worst day of my life."

"How so? I'm sure there's been worse."

"Really? My husband gets angry because I ask for an hour of freedom from being alone in that stupid house! I answer the door and get beaten unconscious by my father-in-law after finding out my own father turned on me. I wake up in hospital and get shouted at for something I never did, getting compared to my mother once again. Then I find out something could be wrong with the unborn child I've carried around for seven and a half months in my guts. Can you give me a worse day, you selfish arsehole?

"There's something wrong with the baby?" Sirius asked worriedly, his stomach sinking.

"They don't know yet, they're doing tests on it."

"Oh god, Harry…" Sirius whispered softly as he lowered his head, taking Harry's hand and not fighting the two tears that feel from his own eyes. After a few long moments, a healer walked in with a file. Both looked up and as the healer opened the file, Sirius squeezed Harry's hand.

"Well, the bruises and split lip with have to heal by themselves, as will the head wound, but we're fixed the major injuries the best we can. Mother and child are going to be just fine."

"So the baby's ok?" Harry asked and the healer smiled at him. "No reason why it hasn't kicked yet?"

"Some babies just kick more when they run out of space to move around, there's nothing wrong with it. Your baby boy is perfectly healthy."

"Baby… boy?"

"Oops."

* * *

The door was pushed open and Harry looked up, smiling at Regulus as he pulled a bouquet of Calypso flowers out from behind his back. 

"Maybe it's a bit early," Harry rolled his eyes but kept smiling. "But, flowers for the new mum."

"Yeah, still way too early, but I'll take them anyway." He sniffed the flowers, inhaling deeply.

"Where's Sirius disappeared to?"

"I think he said he was going for a long walk. He's a bit in shock at the moment."

"Why? The baby's ok, isn't it?" Regulus said worriedly.

"Yeah, the healer accidentally let it slip. It's a boy. A healthy baby boy."

"No kidding? That's wonderful."

"Thanks." There were a few moments of silence.

"Is everything between you two ok now?" Harry shrugged. "Do you still want to…"

"You should have seen his face when the healer said he was going to be ok. He's so excited to be a father, I could never take that away for my own wishful thinking…" Sad as it sounded, Regulus admired him for his selflessness.

"Things are going to get better, you'll see." He looked up sadly into his brother-in-law's eyes.

"I stopped believing in fairy tale endings a long time ago. Until he admits there's a problem, nothing's going to get solved…"

* * *

Updated in celebration of St Patrick's day tommorow. Yeah, I'm not Irish (kiss me anyway!), but I'll takeany excuse to celebrate...

Thanks to my reviewers! Would thank you all personally, but I'm in a bit of a rush right now...

Review


	13. Chapter 13

"Come on baby, Surely you've run out of space by now. I don't think Mummy can stretch any further. We've been waiting long enough and we can't even feel a little foot or hand. You'll be out in a month and a half and we want to be able to tell you when we first felt you kick." Sirius spoke pleadingly to it and Harry laughed. "No?" He picked up the sponge and squeezed the hot soapy water out over it.

"Great, you manage to plead, threaten and insult me in one long sentence and yet he's being selfish, doing it to spite us."

"At least we know this baby is going to be something like both of his parents."

"I don't think this is working very well."

"Oh well, we tried." Sirius sighed and traced his finger along the top of the tight skin. After a lot more pleading and a long hot bath, they got out, disappointed that it still hadn't worked.

While Harry dried himself off, Sirius stood on the scale and sighed. Harry looked up.

"In a week, only three pounds gone. I'm never going to lose it all at this rate."

"I stopped using that thing months ago, or I might have thrown it at the wall by now."

"Only three pounds?" Harry sighed and took Sirius's hand before leading him out into their bedroom. He went through their cupboard and pulled out a pair of trousers of Sirius's.

"These are the ones we bought before we went to see my parents, right?" Harry asked holding them up.

"The one with the stuck button? Yeah, I remember struggling to get them off after we got back. Those pants were probably there while that stubborn little thing in your belly was made."

"Great, the trousers of conception. Put them on." He threw them to Sirius, who pulled them on and gasped. Harry gave him a knowing smirk as he looked in the mirror.

"I told you it doesn't matter what the scale says, it doesn't seem like much, but in eight months, no, even less because I was two months along when I found out, you've almost halved in size."

"Come here, see if you can fit in them with me." Harry laughed and gave a whine but came over and let Sirius pick him up anyway and help him in. It was a tight fit, both of their stomachs pressed against each other, but they were still able to get in.

"Your face is also smaller."

"Really?"

"Yeah, when I put my hands here, with the palms here, the fingers were here, but now…" He put his hands on Sirius's cheeks and reached up, kissing him deeply and passionately. Sirius wrapped his arms round Harry and suddenly the pregnant man yelped and jumped. He pulled away.

"I think he kicked!" Harry said excitedly and before Sirius could put his hand there, Harry jumped again and Sirius gasped as he saw the outline of a tiny foot press against the skin for a second then disappear. He put his hand over the spot and felt it again.

"That's just…wow. I never thought it would be like… gosh." Sirius stuttered and Harry looked around smiling. "Isn't this going to be an interesting story to tell him where he first kicked."

"Better than when he first moved."

"Where was that?"

"While taking a piss in the middle of the night." Sirius sniggered. "It's not funny, I got such a fright I nearly stained the curtains!"

"It could have been worse, he could be kicking while we're getting it on."

"Don't worry, he will be." Harry said seductively and kissed Sirius again, wrapping his arms around him and being scooped up and carried over, dropping him down onto the bed before growling and pouncing on him, growling like the dog he was and his pregnant spouse making just as animalistic noises.

* * *

"Keep still. You're shaking the table." Regulus said irritably and Sirius didn't seem to hear him, but stopped and gave him a wide grin. Regulus looked down at his lunch.

"What have you done to it?"

"Nothing. I swear." Regulus pushed the sandwich to him.

"Eat some then." Sirius pushed it back.

"It's Friday today."

"Yeah, so?"

"Harry's making toffee pudding tonight if I don't."

"I don't get it. You're so desperate to lose weight, yet you still eat the desserts he makes."

"Once a week. And it is working."

"Prove it." Sirius stood up and took his robe off, leaving him in trousers and shirt. Regulus's eyes widened for a second before he raised an eyebrow.

"I asked for proof, not for you to do a strip show in the middle of the ministry." Sirius put his robe back on and sat down again as Regulus looked at the sandwich once more and stood up.

."I'm not going to be able to eat that now. I don't trust you." They walked in silence for a while, Sirius still beaming. "So, what are you doing about Harry?"

"What about him?"

"About father."

"He thinks they're dead."

"If he'd wanted Harry dead, you know he would have killed him. It was a warning to you." Regulus said desperately. "The baby's due soon. What if he comes back when Harry's alone with it?" Sirius didn't speak until they reached his office door, when he mumbled that he would think about it. Regulus hated resorting to emotional blackmail with his brother, but hated it even more when Sirius gambled his about-to-be-expanded family's safety.

He didn't have to worry much longer, because as they got past the secretary into his actual office, he let out a yell and jumped back, while Sirius just stood there like he'd expected it.

"Hello Kreacher."

"Young masters…" He said before taking a low bow. "You has changed."

"What do you want Kreacher?"

"Mistress has sent me to serve new master."

"New master?"

"Old master passed on last night." Sirius looked to Regulus.

"Sirius, he's gone. Father's finally gone."

* * *

Yeah, Harry exaggerates the 'halving in size' a bit, but all for his husband's happiness...

Hope my review replies cleared up everyone's confusion. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter.

Review.


	14. Chapter 14

Neither was keen to go into the old house they'd sworn they'd never return to, but had wanted to find out if it was true. It was quieter than either had ever known, still rather dark and gloomy and both moved through it with wands out and bodies close together.

They moved into the living room and Regulus went to look at tapestry. Yup, just like he'd expected, he and Sirius were both burnt off and thankfully, there was no sign of Caelum or Aquila or even Opal on it. Strangely enough though, you could still see Harry and a new line formed beneath Sirius's burn mark, obviously for the new baby.

"Hey Sirius, come check this out." Sirius didn't answer and Regulus looked around. His brother was standing by the fireplace, back to him and staring at the sofa in front of him.

"_Please father, don't I'll behave next term I promise."_

"_I warned you since the first time you came home Sirius. It's too late now."_

He jumped as Regulus put a hand on his shoulder. He pushed it away.

"I think we'd better go, Sirius." He whispered and Sirius nodded. Regulus turned to the door and walked towards it when a crash suddenly sounded from behind him. He turned around to see Sirius walking towards him, the couch now broken against the wall, a footprint on the armrest that had been facing Sirius.

They approached the front door but when Regulus pulled it wouldn't open. A sinking feeling in his stomach, Sirius took it and started tugging at it hard. It still wouldn't open. Regulus's shaky hand touched his shoulder and Sirius felt rather scared to turn around, knowing exactly what it was…

"My sons, welcome home…"

* * *

Not much to say. The writing for this story is done. Nearly had the life scared out of me by a parktown prawn _a cockroach_. Have fallen in love with the beatles music again. (Details of all of these can be found on my livejournal) 


	15. Chapter 15

"I'm hoping the next time we're back here, we'll actually have the baby outside." Harry said woefully. Sirius chuckled painfully from the bed and Harry took his hand.

"How's Regulus doing?"

"He's okay, released yesterday morning. He's going to come visit once Opal gets off work. She said that the healer's told her he should be able to walk on his own in another month or two."

"I'm so sorry, Harry. I should have known it was a trap." Sirius squeezed the hand clutching his own. Harry just smiled.

"It doesn't matter. You're going to be okay and anyone could have made the same, very stupid, mistake."

"He talked about you, said I had a very lovely wife..."

"I'm glad that surprises you."

"And that he would never guessed you were male. You never mentioned that he…"

"He didn't. I think he planned to, but from the way he reacted, I think he's gone off boys a bit."

"Or maybe you were just too old for his tastes." Sirius said dryly.

"I'm glad you're okay."

"Me too." Sirius replied and from Harry's reaction, the baby chose that moment to wake up. He kicked the hand Sirius put over him hard, as if saying hello to his father, who'd spent the last week unconscious in a hospital. "Both of you."

* * *

"Bloody hell. What happened here?" Sirius said as he looked around the remains of their living room. Harry didn't answer, but looked around as shocked as he was. "When did this happen?"

"I-I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know? You didn't notice our house was in tatters?"

"I haven't been here since a day after you got yourself half killed. I got a bag of clothes and toiletries and, in case you didn't notice, spent the past three weeks by your bedside."

They move slowly through their destroyed home, everything broken and thrown around. Harry didn't give much reaction but a sob when they found their wedding album on the floor of the upstairs hall, the pages torn out and photos ripped into tiny pieces.

"It's okay, love. I have the negatives hidden and if they got those too, Regulus should have the copy the photographer gave him." Harry nodded slowly. But Sirius himself felt like someone had punctured his heart when they looked on their dresser. Harry's jewellery had all been tipped out of its box, but what hurt him most, was the destroyed remains of a very special piece….

_The only sounds in the deep midnight darkness were two crickets outside on a balcony rail, chirping slowly in the cold snowy weather. The balcony was connected to a flat, one of many in a big building. But in this particular flat, was a bedroom. And in this bedroom lay two people, one spooned in the other's arms, both breathing slowly, not quite asleep, but not fully awake either. _

_"I don't know how he could do this…" The younger of the two whispered to his fiancé, more tears silently leaking out of his eyes. The other man held him closer against his chest, letting him cry out the painful betrayal of his father._

_"He'll come around, love, don't worry."_

"_What if he doesn't? It's only_ _three weeks to the wedding."_

_"Then we have it without him. Yeah, we'll both be upset that he wasn't there, but you were the one who told me, remember? Whether he's there or not, it's our special day and ours alone. It's his loss if he chooses not to celebrate it with us. Harry nodded slowly._

_"Love you." Sirius smiled and kissed Harry's head._

_"Love you too." They lay together in silence again, strangely enough, Sirius's mind didn't drift to the perverse thoughts he would have had four months ago with anyone else. It didn't even occur to him that both were only in their underclothes, only a pair of lace hot pants and his own briefs separating him from his fiancé who, with some gentle prodding, would have given it up three weeks early. _

_He reached for something on the nightstand, causing Harry to move to see what it was. Sirius handed him the box and he looked at him strangely before opening it and gasping, mouthing the words of note quickly before lifting out the gift._

"_To celebrate four of the best months of my life. Happy anniversary, my swan." Harry looked at him before looking closely at the necklace. Just larger than his thumbnail, the diamond-encrusted outline of what was clearly a swan, a single blue sapphire making the eye._

"_It's… it's…" He stuttered to find the word._

"_Perfect." Harry nodded slowly, finally dragging his eyes away from it to look at Sirius again. "It's to symbolize what our marriage is going to be like... just, perfect."_

"Isn't this just irony?" Sirius asked as they lay on the floor in the charred remains of their nursery, Harry having finally broken down into tears when he had spotted it.

"What?"

"Remember when I gave this to you, what I said?" Harry nodded.

"Perfect."

"And we agreed that we'd be perfect." He loosened his grip on the swan and both looked at it. The diamonds were still visible, but the silver had melted into a large blob and the sapphire was missing. "Now look what we've become… so far from perfect it's not even clear what we've become. What our relationship's become…"

Harry nodded tearfully as he held his husband and the hand holding the swan.

"Please, no more fighting…"

* * *

A very deep chapter indeed. Thank you to those who reviewed.

Review


	16. Chapter 16

Sirius could hardly believe how time had gone so fast. The baby's due date was fast approaching and he was becoming more nervous about it. Despite how odd it would look, he still got the images in his head of Harry as his superhero every time he had to be reassured by said superhero that he would make a good father.

As for Harry himself, Sirius didn't think he'd ever loved him more than he did at that time. He only seemed to get happier as he'd gotten bigger and had almost a constant smile on his face, his hand still going to his stomach whenever the baby kicked. Unlike Sirius had been warned about, Harry did not lie around complaining about the various pains of pregnancy.

He hadn't expected it very much to be completely honest. Harry, in what only made him more beautiful, had never been one to lie around moping about his problems. Since they'd gotten married, Sirius no longer had the idea of him being flawless. No, he was far from it. But his pure innocence and the way he handled problems sure made him seem like it sometimes...

_What's complaining going to do? Make it go away or make both of us feel miserable?_

In fact, he'd moaned more when Sirius eventually had to pick him up and carry him over his shoulder to rest, protesting that he hadn't washed the kitchen floor yet.

The morning of the due date, Sirius woke up alone in bed and looked around. The toilet flushed from the bathroom and a moment later Harry came back into the room, walking slowly and awkwardly. He flopped down onto the bed before rolling onto his side.

"You're supposed to be resting." Sirius teased as Harry moved closer, cuddling into his husband's open arms. He opened his eyes, his hair covering the left one and frowned.

"Yeah, and you'd be the one complaining when my bladder couldn't take anymore and you ended up smelling like piss for work."

"I'm not going in today." Harry closed his eyes again. "I want to be with you when he comes." He put his hand on him and Harry smiled.

"You know he might not even be born today. It's just a date to say if he's born later, he's considered full term."

"What's the point of that?" Harry shrugged before trying to sit up. Sirius pushed him up from behind and he smiled at him and kissed his cheek. "Bladder again?"

"No. What do you want for breakfast?"

"No way. You're staying in bed today."

"Like hell I am." Harry said and before he could move out of his husband's way, was pulled down onto his back again. "Just cause you're not working doesn't mean I'm not."

"You're supposed to be having a baby. Bed. Stay." He said and Harry glared at him for a moment before moving onto his side again. Sirius thought he was going to slap him, but instead was kissed passionately.

* * *

He woke up naked about three hours later and growled in frustration as he looked at the empty side of the bed. He threw on a robe and stomped downstairs angrily. His anger increased as he looked at Harry. 

He was singing loudly to music on the radio, dancing around the room. His movements would hardly be considered graceful anymore, but he still moved relatively well as he pranced round, feather duster in hand as he reached for the high spot on the wall.

"What do you think you're doing?" Sirius said through gritted teeth.

"Cleaning."

"I told you to stay in bed!"

"I couldn't sleep"

"That's shit, you did it on purpose." Harry didn't say anything. "Get back upstairs."

"No."

"What did you say?" Harry turned around very suddenly, throwing down the duster.

"I said no Sirius!" He shouted. "I'm not a child! I'm a capable adult and yet you keep treating me like I can't take care of myself!"

"I'm taking care of the baby since you obviously can't. It's mine too." Harry didn't even pretend to laugh sarcastically or glare like he usually would have, but instead attacked back, his temper flaring.

"This isn't about the baby. It's been going on a lot longer. I agreed to move away from everything, to give up my dreams and follow you here. And what did I get out of it? You lock me up in a house everyday, no owls, the floo blocked off and forbid me to leave without you. Are you that ashamed of me? Are you going to do the same to the baby?"

"Don't start on how I'll treat the baby again, you know what happened last time…" Sirius replied warningly.

"Ooh yes, come on then." Harry said mockingly and stepped forward, turning his head so his cheek was exposed. "Slap me again. I won't even bother to take my stuff, I'll leave as I am and you'll never see the baby or me again as long as you live."

"Where do you think you'll go on foot? Run back to England? To your parents? Always so eager to run away from your problems…"

"I have news for you then hypocrite, I've been eager to do it for almost a year now." He saw the shocked look on Sirius's face. "All planned out. But then I found out about the baby and thought that maybe you'd loosen up a bit with the possessiveness, but that's obviously never going to change." Sirius's eye narrowed.

"Go then." He spat. "You're all keen for it, so go ahead, pack your stuff and leave. I never wanted the baby or this whole marriage thing in the first place." The same shocked expression appeared in Harry's eyes for a moment before being replaced with hurt. It was clear he hadn't seriously considered going. He pushed past him and disappeared, his feet pounding up the stairs.

Sirius sat down on the couch sighing, expecting to wait an hour for him to stop crying and then apologise. Instead, a half hour later, Harry stopped outside the door of the living room, his eyes red, hair tied back and properly dressed in a plain robe Sirius didn't recognize. Sirius gasped.

"Your hair!"

"Yeah, I've always wanted to do it and red will attract too much attention." He ran a hand through his black, shoulder length ponytail and adjusted the bag on his shoulder.

"Attention? From who?"

"You wanted me out. I'm going somewhere I can be sure that when this baby comes, he'll get nothing but love. None of this fighting or a father that doesn't want him." He said coldly.

"Harry…don't...I didn't." Sirius croaked, babbling on, but Harry shook his head.

"You've had almost an hour. In fact, you've had nine months to show you care. Nearly five years to prove you love me. It's too late." He looked at him one last time through pretty dark green eyes. "Goodbye Tall Dark and Handsome."

* * *

A long time since I've updated, I know. Life's been really busy in many ways. Anyway, there's like a chapter or two left, so I'll post them soon. Thank you to everybody.

Review


	17. Chapter 17

It took about ten minutes before what had happened sunk into Sirius's system and he scrambled up and out the door after Harry. Praying that he wasn't too late, he hurried down the hill, looking around for him frantically. He saw it then, a lone figure walking down to the bottom.

And he ran.

He ran faster than he ever did in his life as he saw a big purple bus pull up in front of Harry.

If he hadn't stopped to wipe his eyes, Sirius would have never caught him. The bus would have sped away and he'd never have seen either again. But he got it. Boarding it right before it disappeared.

He paid the conductor, a young man in his early thirties who was eyeing him out suspiciously, and moved around the bus looking in every seat for his husband. Eventually he found him in the empty top storey, curled up on a sofa, a tissue held to his eyes.

Cautiously, Sirius approached him and took the place next to him on the seat. He didn't even look up, but Sirius knew that he knew he was there.

"I don't get why this happening." He said softly to him. "We've never fought before in almost five years. And now, the time when we should be celebrating our first baby, we're arguing constantly."

"I don't know either. It's just with everything. The baby, everything, every memory we've ever saved, being destroyed, the whole spiked tea with my family, your family nearly killing you and Regulus, worrying that your heart suddenly stops somewhere and I lose you, it's just too much..." He sobbed again and Sirius wrapped an arm round him and he leant against his chest crying softly.

"I never knew you were worrying so much." Sirius said honestly, feeling horrible inside for not noticing before. "It'll get better."

"When? After the baby's born? It'll only get worse. One more thing to worry about for the rest of my life. What if it hates me?"

"You've been reassuring me it won't hate me for months and you've never said anything."

"What good will that do to help you feel better?" He said softly and Sirius looked now at him, no longer seeing his superhero, but instead the image of a helpless scared child curled up against him and it occurred to Sirius that was probably how he felt.

Everything had been decided for him. He hadn't gotten the choice to wait until he was ready to have a child. He hadn't got asked whether he wanted something growing inside and depending on him for nine months. And yet he'd been selfless enough to constantly comfort him about his own fears.

"We have no guarantee that he won't hate us, but we're both going into this together. And sure, it wasn't planned, but he'll get all the love he needs. From both his parents." Sirius said and Harry looked up at him. "We've come too far to let this end now. I love you. Please, come home."

Harry didn't answer, but closed his eyes and rested his head again against Sirius's chest.

"I love you too." He said softly and Sirius took that as a yes. He leant back and watched Harry as his breathing slowed and the grip on Sirius's robe loosened. Eventually, he got up, careful not to disturb him and went back down, telling the conductor to turn the bus around. He agreed after Sirius slipped him a few galleons, but told him it could take quite a long time.

"The lad upstairs, 'e seemed quite in a hurry to get to the UK. Somewhere round London."

"Well he changed his mind. Take us back where you picked us up." He nodded and turned to the driver. Sirius meanwhile started walking back towards the stairs. He wasn't really surprised where Harry had been going. He'd been born and raised in England and felt most comfortable there. Sirius was sure that if there weren't complications of moving between countries and birth certificates, he would prefer the baby born there too.

He sighed. Maybe he should consider transferring ministries? But his head of department was ready to drop dead any day now and a promotion to head of The Magical Communication department could be his. That would mean travelling quite a bit, a large salary increase and a lot of large Ministry functions and parties. Harry would appreciate all three. Besides, they were already moving house sometime in the next few months to be safe from his father; moving countries would just put more stress on his head.

The bus changed directions and if Sirius hadn't held onto the banister at the top of the stairs, would have fallen right back down. Harry woke up with a sudden gasp as he nearly fell off the sofa. He put a hand over his heart and looked around. Sirius heaved himself up and before the bus could turn again, hung onto the couch and sat down, Harry moving forward so he could lie behind him.

"They're turning it around, we'll be home in about an hour." He said and Harry nodded, lying peacefully in silence against Sirius.

"Why do you feel the sudden urge to leave the house?" Sirius asked him suddenly and Harry didn't look at him. Eventually, he answered.

"I love you. More than anyone I ever have known and more than I'll ever feel for anyone, but before I met you, I was in classes at school, in Diagon alley shopping, parties on the weekend, doing recitals and meeting dancers from other schools, I'm used to being around people. I need social contact with more than just you."

"All of a sudden? It's never bothered you before." Harry blushed and looked down.

"You know the other day when you went to the toy shop and left me to do the grocery shopping?" Sirius nodded. "I ran into Junie, you remember Junie?" Sirius nodded and if he didn't fear upsetting Harry again, would have rolled his eyes.

Junell Lawrence, a perfectly feminine name for Harry's fellow dancer, had been the bane of their relationship and caused the few petty arguments they did have. The trouble he'd caused included telling him Harry pretended to be virgin but had had an affair with their Potions professor in sixth year, trying to convince Harry not to move to Bulgaria, and the worst one, attempting to kiss him and making it seem like he started it, then holding it over his head for an entire month, to name a few.

To be frank, Sirius had not been sad to see him go after getting accepted into one of the ballets like Harry had auditioned for, though the only reason he got in being that he was dating one of producers.

_Excited chatter echoed through the grounds on a chilly May morning. Twenty-five carriages drawn by winged-horses stood upon the Potter's front lawn, all being prepared for a long flight._

_Near one of these carriages stood the reason for needing to transport almost a hundred men, woman and children halfway across the continent. The younger of the two rubbed his nose against his fiancé's, making him chuckle and kiss him tenderly._

"_Only five more days." He whispered, holding his hands tightly in his own. "Then you're all mine."_

"_I've been yours since the day I met you." The romantic moment was interrupted as Sirius was pulled away by the collar from behind. He managed to look at the person who was choking him and stop them._

"_What are you doing?"_

"_The wedding's in five days. If you think you're travelling for twelve hours alone in a carriage with my Godson, you've got another thing coming…" They muttered and dragged him by his arm. Sirius was able to catch a glance at Harry, who was being dragged away by Nymphadora and his mother._

_Remus finally let him go after about thirty metres when they reached the carriage they'd have to share. They went behind the carriage and Remus took out his wand._

"_Since James is still showing no interest in being a part of this, it's my job to tell you this. If you ever hurt him in anyway…" As he listened to his threats, Sirius did the strangest thing. He laughed. Remus got angry at this, which only made him laugh harder. Eventually, he backed away, stalking off._

_Sirius used this to his advantage and managed to sneak away, weaving in and out between the carriages until he saw Harry. He was talking to a short, rather flat-faced person about his own age. He reminded Sirius distinctly of a Persian cat. Sirius hated cats._

"_Couldn't you just wait another few days?"_

"_I can't. John and I leave tomorrow morning with the group. We've got a show in two weeks."_

"_So you'd rather miss my wedding for a man you don't even know?" Harry spoke strongly, but Sirius could hear the quiver in his voice._

"_It's important to me to do this and you'd rather hold me back for your one day? Don't be so selfish, Harry." Sirius didn't hear the response but got in the carriage from the other side so Harry didn't see. A few moments later, he climbed up into it sadly. Sirius put an arm round him as tears slowly leaked out of his eyes. As he quietly sobbed, Sirius's mind drifted._

"_Well, weddings are at least good for something." He mumbled after a few minutes as the carriages started to take off. They lay sprawled across the seat, Harry lying in Sirius's arms, a tissue in hand and tears still coming out of his eyes. Sirius's mind drifted away as he thought about what had just taken place._

_It seemed in the past few months, everything had split apart through Harry's life. As far as Sirius knew, four of his friends from dancing, objecting to his sudden resignation had refused to come. _

_His father had done the same over something twenty years ago and a week ago, Remus had protested Harry moving over (his mind had quickly changed once he saw how upset it made his Godson). Sirius knew there were more he hadn't heard about, but adding Junell to the list proved exactly how much a loyalty test this had all become._

_As Harry gave a small sob, Sirius felt glad that he was finally getting him out of there..._

"Apparently they were doing a few shows somewhere up north and had stopped for a rest."

"He still with the producer?"

"No, says he's single and loving it. Though he seemed surprised I was still with you. Thought it would end in divorce after a few months apparently."

"Jealous." He mumbled. "I know I'm going to regret asking this, but how is he?"

"He's okay." Harry hesitated for a moment. "Said it felt good to be the thinner one for a change." He blushed and looked down, refusing to meet Sirius's eye again. Sirius realized how for the past few days Harry had make sure the lights were out before letting Sirius remove his clothes and made a vow to kill the bastard next time.

"If this is the way he feels better about himself, bringing you down, then he hasn't changed a bit, the selfish arsehole." Harry laughed softly. Sirius put his head on his shoulder.

"You shouldn't feel bad about it, it's only because of the baby, and you're still better looking than he could ever be."

"Yeah, right."

"My opinion counts right? And I think that you look absolutely stunning." Harry sniggered. "Last week when you turned up suddenly out the bathroom and surprised me like that, your beautiful red hair, which you'll change back when we get home, right?" Harry nodded. "Your beautiful red hair left loose around your face, just those tiny little pink knickers with the little bows on and our baby, our beautiful growing baby, your tummy on display just like that for anyone to see. Yowzah, Harry I don't think I've ever felt so turned on in my entire life." Harry looked at him and blushed, a sheepish smile on his face.

"Too bad I don't feel like it."

"You have the courage to go through this pregnancy when you weren't even given a choice. Just had it all pushed upon you, and that, my Swan, is true beauty."

From when they'd gotten home, he'd been expecting Harry to scream in pain and tell him painfully that it was coming. At dinner when it had given an especially hard kick, Harry had given a small 'oh' in surprise, and had found himself being scooped up in his husband's arms. Only when Sirius had come running downstairs with a bag of stuff quickly thrown together for him, dropping his wife down unceremoniously down on the couch beforehand, Harry had been able to tell him that it wasn't a contraction, before laughing at stuff he'd packed.

* * *


	18. Chapter 18

As he lay in bed, the bathroom light on again for the third time in the past hour as Harry emptied his squashed bladder, Sirius thought that this day had to be the most he and Harry had connected in months.

He rolled over and tried to sleep, but found he couldn't with the damn light in his eyes. He wondered what was taking Harry so long and slowly lifted himself out of the warm bed.

He frowned as he looked at the empty bathroom before his eyes went down to the pile of material lying in the middle of the blue bath mat. He picked it up. An oversized Vratsa Vultures T-shirt, that had once belonged to him, clearly with a temporary enlarging charm around the middle and to Sirius's amusement, not shock (he'd known Harry too long for that), a pair of bright pink, flowered panties. He left those on the floor.

He held the shirt close and sniffed the air, finding a familiar scent on it. The smell of Harry's unusual lemon soap, the Brazil nuts he'd been craving lately, of his own body still lingering on it. Sirius knew why Harry had been wearing his clothes over the past few months, but only then truly understood how much Harry had missed him.

Walking quickly, he dropped the T-shirt on the stairs.

_Harry missed him_.

He was outside. Sitting at the little table in the moonlight overlooking the village, his hair once again a vibrant red. Sirius approached him and he didn't even turn.

"I wondered how long it would take you." He said simply and not for the first time, Sirius wondered how he did that.

"Why didn't you just ask?" Sirius said as he sat in the chair next to him. Harry turned and grinned at him.

"What'd be the fun of that?" They sat in silence for a few more moments staring at the sky.

"Sirius is bright tonight." He pointed to the star.

"Which one?" Harry laughed and leant back in the chair, a hand on his massive stomach. Sirius placed his own hand on it. Neverin the entirepregnancy did Sirius think Harry wouldget this big. In fact, he'd never imagined Harry anything other than tiny throughout theirrelationship. But as he looked over him again, he found that he loved the way he looked now just as much, if not more."Seems like all three."

"So the name's finalised then? Even if it's nothing like me." Sirius said and Harry laughed again.

"More of how is he not like you? He keeps me up all night because he won't keep still. He's stubborn." Harry ticked off the things on his fingers before he looked down at the table and the plate in front of him. "They say that you can tell the father from the cravings…"

"I wasn't ever aware that you had much of a sweet tooth."

"I don't. Or at least I didn't until he developed your taste for anything sugary." Harry looked wistfully at the cake before gripping the armrests of the chair and pulling himself to his feet. He stumbled and Sirius caught a hand on his back and steadied him.

He approached the poolside and a moment later, shrugged off his dressing gown, letting it fall to the bricks behind him. Sirius whistled and he turned his head smiling.

Having to get up every two or so hours to go to the bathroom and then dealing with the baby kicking for about another before he could sleep again had also taken it's toll and their were bags under his eyes, his skin was pale and the extra hormones running through his body had made his hair flat and it hung limply around his face.

But Sirius had meant exactly what he'd told Harry earlier. In his opinion, the only time Harry had been so gorgeous was on their wedding night, lying on the king-size bed in his dress with a glass of champagne in hand and a nervous but eager look on his face.

But that was beautiful in a whole different way…

"Shit that's cold." He hissed as he lowered himself in.

"Then get out. It's called logic." Harry ignored the jibe.

"Come on, get in."

"No thanks." He saw the pleading look on Harry's face then realized he was completely naked and needed no more convincing as he stripped off his own pyjamas and dove in. Harry laughed and as he went deeper, let out an erotic groan. Sirius looked at him wide-eyed.

"Stop staring at me like I'm a nutcase. My back hurts and the cold water helps." Sirius swam over and wrapped his arms round him from behind, pulling him close and kissing his neck.

"So Goddamn sexy." He mumbled incoherently and Harry shuddered. "Still like my new bride..."

"And still like my new husband… except maybe a bit older and, wiser." His eyes had a strange twinkle in them.

"You do realize that even if you hint at wider, I've had a traumatic enough day to start crying."

"When have I said something like that? Is it me to even hint at it?" Sirius shook his head and held him closely. "Embrace what you have. If you wish for things you don't have, you'll never be happy."

"Now it's things like that that remind me of what made me fall in love with you in the first place." Sirius said.

_Looking at the people glaring at him, Sirius stumbled over the step as his younger boyfriend dragged him onto the dance floor. He looked different from how Sirius had seen him before though he couldn't really describe how. His hair was loose around his face and gave his face a more, vibrant look._

_The slow song started and Sirius instinctively wrapped his arms around his body and pulled him close. Harry didn't seem to mind and put his head against his chest, smiling contentedly and moving slowly with Sirius to the music._

"_So your name's Harry then?" Harry nodded slowly. "Harry…" He tried it on his tongue slowly, making Harry smile._

"_And now you'll have to tell me yours, Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome." He laughed quietly. Harry looked up at him._

"_Do I have to?" Harry nodded slowly. "It's Sirius, Sirius Black." Sirius blushed deeply._

"_Sirius? It's unusual."_

"_My family had this thing for naming us after constellations or stars. Stupid really…"_

"_I don't think so, I like it." He said smiling at him softly. "Sirius Black."_

"_Harry Potter." A content silence passed over them; similar to their first kiss three days ago outside the restaurant they'd had dinner at. Both had been laughing over something when their eyes had met and they just stopped. Harry, still clutching his white handbag in one hand, had thrown the other arm over Sirius's neck. They'd craned their necks, one standing up on his toes despite the high heels and the other leaning down, and turned their heads._

_It might sound like a cliché, but fireworks had gone off in front of them and it had nothing to do with Bonfire Night five nights before._

_Turning around, Sirius looked up from Harry, who'd closed his eyes, still resting against his chest. He once again saw the people he once considered friends, all three still giving him death glares. Harry noticed him tense but didn't open his eyes._

"_Don't worry about them."_

"_So they haven't told you about things from school?"_

"_They've tried. I don't care. It was a long time ago and you don't seem like that to me."_

"_I swear I've changed since then, I just don't want them to scare you off."_

"_Nobody's scaring me off, I promise." He said and opened his eyes, moving his head off Sirius's chest and being held in his arms instead. Sirius frowned worriedly. He reached up a hand and touched Sirius's cheek, stroking it lovingly._

"_I see it this way… They can do all they want. Tell stories and lies to both of us. But in the end, it's our relationship; it's not about them. It's about us and it's our choice to live in the past or ignore it all and hope for a future." It was then as he stared into his eyes that the words slipped out._

"_I love you." He thought Harry was going to run away from him for a few seconds, but instead he just smiled back, blushing and looking down._

"_I love you too." Sirius's hand lifted his chin gently and looked into his eyes, leaning forward and kissing him. For the first time in his life, Sirius found he didn't regret saying those words…_

* * *

_Taking off his shoes and tie, Sirius looked up at sound of a glass tapping against something and felt immediately glad that they'd waited until now. Harry was still in his dress. The years of dancing and daily morning jogging had given him a toned body easily envied and he'd opted for a figure-hugging gown made of white silk. His arms were bare up to his wrists, with lace white gloves covering his small hands, one of which held a glass of champagne to his lips._

"_Hmm, how does that rhyme go? Something yellow?" Harry laughed._

"_Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. Nothing with yellow." _

"_What do you have that's old?" Sirius asked, using it as excuse to look over Harry's gorgeous figure._

"_I have you." Sirius gave a look of mock hurt before getting down onto the bed next to him, leaning on his elbow and taking the champagne glass for a drink._

"_New?" Harry took his hand and put it on his leg, feeling under his dress and putting it on a piece of material but Sirius couldn't figure out what it was._

"_Does this count?" He saw the confusion. "Look if you want."_

_Long robes or stockings while dancing had always covered Harry's legs and Sirius didn't realize until that moment that he'd never really seen them. His eyes slowly admired them all the way from high-heeled feet, lifting the dress higher, until his eyes stopped on the piece of lace. A dainty little white garter sitting, almost tauntingly, on his thigh._

_Running his hand along it curiously, he looked up at Harry's face. He obviously thought he'd done the right thing and Sirius didn't disagree as he let it go and moved his hands further up Harry's thighs, rubbing the outside slow and erotically. _

"_Don't you like it?" Harry asked and Sirius looked up from his pleasure before touching the garter again, pulling it and letting it snap back against his leg._

"_I love it, that's why I'm leaving it on a bit longer." He said as Harry jerked at the sudden sting. Sirius meanwhile went back to work at the treasure in front of him, taking pleasure in the small groan from his bride. Hitching the dress up around Harry's hips, he let out an 'ooooh!'_

"_You went all out with this, didn't you?"_

"_Don't worry, there's nothing wrong with what's in them." He said and like with the garter, Sirius touched the front of the white knickers, making Harry shiver._

* * *

"_I can't believe it…"_

"_What?"_

"_We actually did. We actually went through with it all and…we did it." Harry didn't open his eyes and gave Sirius a smile as he leant closer into his arms, his chest still moving slowly as he caught his breath back. The style he'd had his hair up in for the wedding had been taken out beforehand and it hung in his face, looking as dishevelled as the rest of him, sticky with sweat and the smudged and running make-up on his face._

"_Yes, we did." He said simply and opened his eyes to look into his new husband's face. _

"_I didn't expect him to turn up." Harry didn't mention the conversation that had happened two weeks before._

"_**Is he turning you against me now as well? Told you to ignore me?"**_

_"**No, that's my decision. You asked me to choose between my relationship with you or my engagement to him."**_

"_**And what did you choose?"**_

"_**The wedding's in a week."**_

_Harry's hand brushed against his upper arm, the long nails leaving his skin tingling. _

"Let's not think about him now. It's our night." His eyes twinkled mischievously.

"_Just about us…" Sirius whispered before kissing him again deeply._

Harry merely smiled sheepishly, lying against his husband's chest.

"You're going back to work tomorrow, right?" Sirius nodded. "Can I go down to the village?" Sirius sighed.

"Listen, it's dangerous for you to go alone..."

"That's why I won't. Opal's not working tomorrow. She'll come with." Harry looked at him hopefully, almost desperately.

"What if you go into labour there? Or you start getting back aches again while shopping." The hope slowly faded as it sunk in and Harry nodded sadly and pulled back. "Harry… Come on, you know why you can't."

"We're back where we were this morning! It's nothing to do with the baby or safety; it never has been, has it? I'm not a whore." He said angrily.

"I never said you were a whore!"

"So stop treating me like it! You think that the moment I'm out of your sight, I'm going to run off with the first guy I meet." Sirius didn't respond or meet his eyes and Harry gripped his arms, shaking him. "I love you, Sirius! I married you! I don't want anybody else. I never have." He said almost hysterically.

"Never?" Sirius said unsurely, glancing at him with a great blush upon his chubby cheeks.

"Not once." Harry said, a hand touching the cheek while looking up at him lovingly. "You made me promise that I was yours from the beginning and now, five years, a wonderful marriage, a few fights and almost a baby later, I still am. I'm still yours…"

* * *

Don't go just yet, still a bit left.


	19. Chapter 19

_Sirius _

_Gone to hospital to have baby. Hope your meeting went well. _

_Harry xXx_.

Sirius sighed. He'd come home early so they could go out to celebrate and his promotion to the head of his department and found a pink, of all the colours, sticky note to announce that Harry was having their son. He'd made it clear that he wanted to be there when the time came for him to be born, but come to think of it, had gone on about the importance of this meeting all of yesterday evening.

Realising that he was brooding over nothing while he could be a father at any second, he rushed off into the fireplace.

* * *

Slowly approaching the ward, Sirius poked his head in. His heart gave as much of a leap as when Harry had first agreed to go out to dinner with him. There, Harry, _his Harry_, was sitting in the bed, looking sweaty and tired, but smiling down at the little bundle of blue blankets in his arms…

Sirius entered the room and Harry looked up at him before whispering.

"Hey daddy, come say hello to your son…"

* * *

Remus portkeyed into the yard and was helped up by Sirius, who was grinning widely.

"My god Padfoot, look at you." He said gesturing to Sirius's figure, which was still bulky, but considerably smaller than when Remus had last seen him. "You've shrunk!"

"That doesn't matter. Inside. Now." He said and dragged Remus into the house. He was still smiling and Remus laughed.

"So, you're happy. I take it Harry and the baby are doing okay?" Sirius nodded.

"Got home this morning. About an hour ago. Had to stay a compulsory seventy-two hours for some reason."

"And… what is it?" Sirius hesitated, trying to keep him in anticipation. But only for a very short moment.

"A boy!" He blurted out and hugged Remus excitedly. Remus was their first visitor, Regulus and Opal on a holiday for the next two weeks to celebrate Regulus finally being able to walk (among other things) again, and the first person they could show their baby off to. "They're upstairs."

"Well come on then, let me see my god-grandson!" He said and followed Sirius upstairs. Knocking on the blue door of the newly refurbished nursery, they waited for an answer. Remus looked at the Silver plaque with an engraved name on it.

"Sirry?" Sirius smile faltered.

"Well, can you imagine the confusion of two Sirius's? It's just a nickname; his birth certificate says it in full." He grinned again and a soft 'come in', came from in the room. Sirius pushed the door open slowly and Remus truly thought smiling was contagious, because once he looked inside, he started grinning too…

* * *

Next chapter is the epilogue... just hang on a little bit longer...


	20. Epilogue: Part 1

"I'll take your offer and raise you three chocolate frogs and a pumpkin pasty." James laughed as Peter put down his cards before he scooped together his winnings.

"Moony's turn to deal." Remus didn't answer, standing staring out of the camp.

"Well if that isn't just the epitome of perfection, then what is?" He said with a wiry smile.

Getting up to look, they saw exactly what he meant.

"Is that Sirius?" Remus nodded and smiled, but James's jaw hung down on the floor.

"It looks like someone sliced him in half!"

"What do you mean?" Peter asked him laughing but Remus raised an eyebrow and shook his head.

"How long's it been since you saw them, Peter?"

"Ages. I think nearly six years now."

"Well apparently Sirius developed a bit of a…a weight problem, after they got married." James snorted.

"A bit? You wouldn't have recognized him."

"Do you never stop?" Remus said angrily. "Isn't it bad enough that your nasty teasing drove your son away?" James looked genuinely shocked.

"What do you mean?"

"Did you think it was coincidence that they never owl you or Lily anymore? You were upsetting Harry because you couldn't accept his husband. Did you not realize it?"

"No… I did… But I thought that…" He stuttered and then stopped as the couple walked past, clearly on the way to their own camp.

"Oi Padfoot! Too good to even give us a hello now?" Peter called and Sirius looked round at them, giving smile and waving one hand. Coming out of the tent to call her husband for dinner, Lily spotted them and screamed excitedly at the sight of her son. There was a loud cry and all only noticed then the child lying against Harry's shoulder. Sirius glared at Lily as Harry tried to quiet him, clearly woken from an early evening nap.

He looked at James, giving him an even worse glare before wrapping an arm around Harry's waist protectively and whispering to him in Bulgarian. Harry didn't glare. He didn't even bother to look at them as they walked towards an area full of green white and red Bulgarian tents. And that cold shoulder, the way he just pretended they didn't exist.

That hurt James more than a thousand glares from Sirius.

* * *

Sirius growled, breathing in Harry's scent as he buried his nose against his neck. Flowers, chocolate and baby powder. Oh how he loved it!

"Finally there, all thanks to you." Sirius whispered to him.

"It was your hard work that got you to your target weight, not me." Harry whispered back, a shiver in his voice as Sirius rubbed against him. He ran his hands along his husband's once-again svelte body. Sirius pulled back and started kissing his way down. Harry suddenly rolled off the bed and ran.

Sirius growled playfully again and chased him out the room. Harry padded down the passage, his feet thumping on the soft carpet and being careful not to wake his sleeping son. He looked behind him and didn't see Sirius. As he looked forward again, he was caught in a pair of strong arms.

He giggled as Sirius planted kisses on his face and he struggled away from his husband. He kept still once the lips met his and instead wrapped his arms around him, tangling his fingers in his hair. A hand ran up his legs and fingered the camisole top he had on. The hand went under it, making Harry groan as he rubbed the tight skin.

They broke apart and Harry looked at Sirius's hand, putting his own over his swollen belly.

"Three more weeks." Harry nodded and they just looked lovingly into each other's eyes for a moment. In the silence, two voices came from downstairs and Sirius looked away over the edge of their railing before carrying Harry to their bedroom and picking up his wand.

"Stay here." He instructed and left the room. Harry stood by the door listening. It was about five minutes before he heard anything. Not crying, but his son's soft laughter. Frowning, he left the room, only to find the most unexpected thing…

There, standing in the middle of their tent holding his son… was his mother?

"What are you doing here?" He asked her coldly and she didn't look away from Sirry. She ran a hand through his hair.

"I thought that was clear. I came to see my grandchild."

"He's nothing to you. Give him here"

"Of course he is. Forty-eight hours of labour with you proved that."

"I said give me my son back." He said through gritted teeth and came down the stairs, taking Sirry from her arms. "Now get out."

She went to leave but turned back to Harry after a few seconds.

"Oh by the way, Harry." She drawled. "You had however long to dress like that. Now's not the time to start. I suggest you cover up before someone goes blind." Harry had somehow been expecting it, but it still stung. Though she couldn't see it, he blushed and wished he were wearing more than underclothes (consisting of a camisole top Sirius had bought it for him when they were shopping for clothes that would fit him and despite that the fabric clashed with his hair, had insisted on getting the light pink one and black hot pants).

_On a cold Saturday morning in a small wealthy Bulgarian town, most of the residents of said town were doing their grocery shopping, loud chattering, despite the cold air, throughout the cobblestone street. One pair, a father and son, came out of a toyshop. Very similar in looks, the only difference was hardly noticeable at the time, but would become so as he grew older._

_Listening to his laughter, Sirius smiled and hoisted his son higher. They turned away from the shop._

_"Where should we go next?" Sirry merely made an amused sound as he chewed, or rather, sucked on, the ear of his new stuffed toy. "You're right, let's go see if mommy is finished…"_

_Going inside a small building, a community centre of sorts, they went up to the second floor and watched through the glass window in the door. His heart jumped. He'd forgotten exactly what it did to him to see his husband in a leotard and it had given him a pleasant surprise to come home and see him practicing one afternoon._

_Now he was teaching classes again, three weekdays in their home and an hour class on Saturday mornings in this centre. Yes, making sure there was a studio in their new home was definitely better than diamonds (almost as a thank you gift forgiving him Sirry)._

_He was teaching a group of teenagers and a few seemed to be giggling and pointing. Harry looked at him and signalled for him to come in._

_As Sirius watched him raise his arms and stand on his toes, he saw a shine in his eyes. Happiness he hadn't seen for many years. A wave of uncertainty hit him. Would he be willing to give it up again?_

_The uncertainty still sat with him that night as he watched Harry get undressed. What if he said no? Why would he want to? After all, Harry could have anyone he wanted. Anyone who looked at him could tell that._

_**No**. He struggled to push down the insecurity. He was still bigger than he wanted to be, but definitely better than a year ago. Harry pulled on a plain white nightdress, only a little bit of lace on the skirt, that went just past his thighs and smiled, blushing as he caught Sirius's looking._

_Swallowing the nausea and willing it away, Sirius smiled back as he climbed into bed._

_The lights out and Harry safely in his arms, nuzzling his neck, he finally brought up the subject._

"_Swan?"_

"_Yes, love?"_

"_Have you ever thought about kids?" He could hear the small laugh and could tell Harry was smiling in the darkness._

"_I just put one to bed a few hours ago so I should hope so."_

"_No, I'm not talking about Sirry. I'm talking about… another one."_

"_What?"_

_As if waiting for the moment, Sirry started to cry from the room next door and Harry soon pulled away and his footsteps could be heard on the wooden floor. Sirius reached for the bedside lamp and switched it on. The crying stopped soon after and about ten minutes later Harry came back into the room. Clearly he'd been caught off guard and if the bile weren't rising in his throat, Sirius would have savoured the moment. _

_Though he hadn't said anything, he was sure Harry had even been expecting his proposal and truly astounding him was a rare occasion. _

"_Is he okay?"_

"_Yeah. Was just hungry." He sat down on the bed again and there was an awkward silence, which Sirius broke._

"_So? Do you want another baby?" When he looked back on it, he realized what a tactless and stupid thing it was to say._

"_You couldn't have given me any warning, could you?"_

"_You broke it to me this way."_

"_Well there already was a baby then. What would you have liked? "Hello Sirius. How was your day? By the way, I found today that I'm pregnant and have not the foggiest idea how it happened. Dinner's in ten minutes." Sirius laughed and Harry gave him a small smile._

"_But think, a little brother or sister for Sirry." Harry frowned._

"_But under the circumstances…"_

"_What circumstances?" Harry reached over and turned the light off. Sirius turned it on again and saw Harry was lying down under the covers, completely hiding himself from view. Sirius had learnt by now that that meant he was upset._

"_If you don't want one just say so."_

"_No, get the potion and I'll take it." Harry said and Sirius pulled the covers off him completely, throwing them off the bed. Harry was turned over on his side, facing away from him. "Clearly another baby is more important to you than the sake of our marriage, so I don't really care what happens."_

"_Sake of our marriage? What are you on about?"_

"_It wasn't even six months ago. Surely you haven't forgotten already." Sirius understood exactly why he was so worked up. He pulled him up into his arms and hugged him tightly from behind._

"_Nothing like that would happen. It's just because we didn't have a chance to plan properly." Sirius soothed._

"_Fine then. You tell me what's going to happen when you manage to knock me up again." Sirius ignored the vulgar term._

"_Well, when we get the potion, we'll get Opal and Regulus to take Sirry and we'll make sure we have a nice long uninterrupted to weekend." Harry nodded. "When we find out that it worked, you can start whatever arrangements for your business, an assistant, temporary shut down, whatever, and I'll organize at work to make sure I'm around for the birth, first few weeks and such…" Harry nodded in approval, leaning back against him._

"_Sounds alright so far…"_

"_And…um…I don't know what else would change. You'd stay here looking after Sirry and I'd keep working…"_

_Harry just stared at him, a strange look in his eyes._

"_This isn't just about the us, is it?" He sighed and Sirius took his face in his hands, running his knuckles along Harry's cheek. "Tell me what's wrong."_

"_My parents had my first…sibling, right before I turned twelve, I remember because I thought they'd replaced me when I went to Hogwarts." He gave an embarrassed, yet far from happy, smile. "And from then on, it seemed like there was a new one every time I came. I don't want that to happen. To make Sirry feel like he isn't good enough when we have to give attention to a new baby."_

"_He's six months, he won't even know…"_

"_Do you really think age matters?" Harry snapped, cutting him off and pushing his hands away. "He'll be old enough to be walking by the time it's born. And even when he gets older, it'll still be here."_

"_Well then we'll make sure he gets attention. Make him feel involved in all of it." As Sirius watched him, sitting as far away from him as possible on the bottom of the bed, he could see Harry still looked unsure of the idea. "And think, if it's a girl, you can do all sorts of things with her that you can't with Sirry…"_

"_You really think so?"_

"_Yeah, you could teach her dancing and do all sorts of pretty things to her hair..."As he spoke, he could see ideas forming in Harry's head. Soon after he finished, Harry nodded slowly._

"_I'll have to think about, but I could get used to the idea." _

_It might have been a maybe answer, but as they switched off the light and lay together again, Sirius couldn't be happier. He knew that it wouldn't be long now. Harry would prepare some sort of special dinner and evening and then when and in a way he least expected it, tell him yes._

_He couldn't wait to hold their new baby in his arms…_

Walking up the stairs again and ignoring her hurtful comment, Harry suddenly heard a yelp. He tuned around and saw his husband holding her arms behind her back.

"Sirius leave her, she's not worth it…" Sirius didn't listen, gripping her hair in his fist and pulling her head back so she could see his face.

"I'm sick of you. You bring everyone else down because of how you feel about yourself. Harry looks more stunning than you've ever been, but you just can't handle that, can you? Same as you couldn't handle James's friendship with me."

"I didn't do anything to you!"

"Yeah. And it's coincidence that he changed the moment you came into the picture." He gave a harsh laugh and gave her hair another tug before looking up at Harry. "Go put Sirry back in his crib, I'll come back to bed in a few minutes." Harry nodded and without looking at his mother again, went into Sirry's room.

"You've been hurting Harry and you've been destroying James long enough." He drew out his wand and held it to her throat. "I should have done this twenty six years ago…"

* * *

This was too long for one chapter, so the epilogue will have a second part soon.


	21. Epilogue: Part 2

"Hello?"

James, though he would never admit it, was rather scared as he entered the tent. The last time he'd tried to talk to his son and find out some answers, his nose had bled for three days straight.

He found his way through it somehow and as he stared into the sitting room, gathered all of the courage that had gotten him put in Gryffindor. It was rather large, though silent and empty. He heard water running upstairs and made his way up. The noise led him to a door that was three-quarters closed and with caution, he opened it.

Harry was lying on the king-size bed on his side, his knees bent, his hand clutching a piece of wet cloth tightly and taking long deep breaths.

"Harry?" His eyes snapped open. "What's wrong?"

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you…"

"Now's not the time."

"Where's Sirius?"

"He's taken Sirry for a walk out in the forest."

"Then it is the time." Harry's eyes narrowed and he glared at him. Pushing himself up from the bed, he managed to sit up.

"Don't patronize me. I've got enough problems as it is." He hunched over in pain, his hand going to his stomach and his breathing changing again.

"Oh Merlin, is it…"

"Yeah. I've been having contractions for the past hour or so." A panicky feeling he hadn't had in many years rose in his stomach. The feeling you only get the first time when you realize your child is coming, or in this case, Grandchild

"How exactly does it come out?"

"They have to do a C-section." Harry said, lying back down again in pain.

"Your mother could do, but I don't where she's gone. She went somewhere last night and…"

"I'm not having _her_ touching me or the baby." All his rational thoughts seemed to have disappeared and James ran out the room, down the stairs and out the tent.

----

Two hours later, James sat in the living room, the glass of whiskey (his third) in his hand finally calming him and his rushing brain down.

He believed in the very wise words 'Once an alcoholic; Always an alcoholic.' and true enough, despite the kid (it couldn't be more than a year and a bit), Harry never being much of a drinker (James still inwardly thanked the hangover that had gotten the fourteen-year-old. He rarely touched it after that Summer party in their backgarden) and pregnant, Sirius had the bottles hidden away in their tent, though James got the feeling he was the only one who would have known to look inside the stairs (no really, under the board of the fifth step. Sirius always did like five...)

Someone rushed through the door and he looked up from his place in the satin blue armchair nearest the fireplace. Sirius, looking confused and flustered, walked over to him.

"What happened? Why's everyone I've ever met standing outside the tent?" James just stared at him, blinking and turning his head. It seemed running through the grounds of the world cup screaming for a healer attracted more attention than you'd think.

"Harry." He said simply. Sirius's eyes widened. "The healer's with him."

The sleeping boy in his arms was suddenly placed on James's lap and he could hear Sirius's feet pounding up the steps. James drank down the last of his whiskey and placed it on the table next to him. It crashed and he slowly looked over, blinking again. Wait, wasn't a table there ten minutes ago?

Deciding that he didn't care, he looked at the child, who'd just woken up and was looking back at him. He must have decided that he liked him, or at least seen something familiar, because his expression changed and he smiled widely, despite only having three teeth.

James could see that he'd gotten most of his looks from his father. His eyes were the exact same shade of grey and seemed to light up as he laughed, the same laugh as Sirius. The shape of his mouth and face made it clear that he was going to be a handsome man someday.

As he held him for longer, he saw his son in him too, though more subtly. As he started getting restless, James picked up one of the plushies that had been lying at the foot of the couch.

In a way very much like Harry, he didn't bite it or shake it or even play with it. He held it in his hands and stared at it, not moving, just looking at it curiously with a strange amount of calm for someone his age.

After a few long minutes, his one hand ran over the fur, stroking it caringly. He looked down at his own hand and smiled. He had gotten Harry's hands and (James's hand touched his face) nose too.

The least subtle of all of these though…

The few pieces of hair that he did have hung in his eyes, exactly the same auburn colour as his mother had.

James noticed a few more things as he stared, gathering the traits slowly but surely, a majority of them from Sirius.

He didn't even realize that the sun had gone down and when Sirius came back downstairs about six or seven hours later, he was lying across the couch, both him and Sirry, who was lying on his chest, fast asleep. He woke up when Sirius took his son, going back up the stairs and placing him in his crib.

He came back and James was rubbing his eye tiredly. James looked up and saw scruffy Sirius looked. The stress he'd clearly been going through had not quite worn off, but he was smiling tiredly. He looked at the empty bottle that had rolled to the edge of the fireplace.

"You found it, then?" James sat up, putting his feet back on the floor.

"Can't say I don't know you." He smiled back at him. "You left the corner of the carpet up and anyone with ears can hear it's hollow. Drinking with a child in the house, how irresponible. What would your 'wife' say?" He said in mock dissappointment.

"Last night? He wanted to curse me because, according to him, it's my fault he can't have any." James query why they'd both needed it and perhaps it was for the best that he didn't.

"How are they?"

"They're okay. Harry is probably going to be out for a few hours though…"

"And… what is it?" Sirius smiled shrewdly, running a hand through his hair.

"Another Boy."

"Congratulations!" He said, a bit more enthusatically than he'd planned. The effects of his boozing hadn't quite worn off yet. "Why do you not look so happy about it?" Sirius looked slightly embarassed, his cheeks turning pink.

"No, I'm happy about it of course. We were kind of hoping for a girl but Harry said he knew about six months ago that it would be a boy anyway… We're going to miss the final match. It's a shame, Sirry's been excited about it for about three months now." Sirius said and if he weren't practically bouncing off the ceiling, it would have been woeful.

"Well he'll have to settle for a new brother instead." James stood up, clapping him on the back. "I'd better go. Lily might be back by now. Congrats again…" As he walked to the door, he missed the look Sirius shot out to the backdoor, making sure it was still locked and secured from the forest behind it.

As James went to the tent flap, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Sirius caught him in a tight hug, one he hadn't received for many a year. Almost twenty-seven of them now.

"Thank you Prongs."

---

My final chapter and the stupid breaks on document manager screw up :(

This is all . It's been good writing, good reviewing and in general, so much more than I expected. Thank you to every single one of you! I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have **glomps every single reader**


End file.
